Explore our drug discovery





Collaborative R&D









Co-develop your success with our Collaborative R&D team

Through grant-funded R&D opportunities, we work with industry and academia to tackle high-impact drug discovery challenges.

As a collaborative partner, we bring specialist capabilities, scientific knowledge, and skills that can help shape and deliver successful innovative R&D projects.

Our team can help you navigate the funding landscape, connect you with suitable experts and help develop a joint proposal.

To date, we have helped raise £126.2m grant income in collaboration with the organisations we work with.


A model of a molecule being held on a desk.

























Eligibility and routes to collaboration

We can collaborate through a number of funding routes, depending on the type of project, funding body, and your organisation’s goals. Here is how we typically get involved:

  • Innovate UK Projects – We can partner as a Research and Technology Organisation (RTO), bringing expert capabilities that add value to industry-focused innovation bids.
  • UKRI Funding (e.g. MRC, BBSRC) – We collaborate as co-leads or investigators on research-led projects, adding translational insight and access to our facilities.
  • Charity-Funded Opportunities – We can collaborate as partners on select funding calls (subject to eligibility and T&Cs).
  • Subcontracting – If our contribution fits within a fee-for-service model, we can be included as subcontractors. Get in touch to explore this option with our Business Development team.



Frequently asked questions

Do you provide funding directly?
No, we do not offer direct grants. For potential funding opportunities, visit Medicines Discovery Ventures.

Do you write grant applications?
We do not offer standalone grant writing services, but when we partner on a bid, we contribute to content and review.

When should I contact you?
Please reach out as early as possible once a funding call is live. We typically cannot support bids submitted with fewer than three weeks’ notice.







“We are proud to work in partnership with real innovators and bring together the right people to create projects with a global impact. Whether academic or industry-led, our collaborative approach supports success from proposal to delivery.”

Dr Philippa Hart, Strategy Leader Collaborative R&D and IP













See how we have helped innovators


CPSA is an ingenious extension of the target engagement toolbox. It is easier to upscale and control in high throughput screening applications than currently available methods. With exemplary support from MDC we have smoothly incorporated it into our Drug Discovery pipeline.

Selvita

MDC’s R&D consulting has been transformative, refining our HT8457S strategy with scientific rigour, identifying and mitigating risks, and strengthening our business model, significantly enhancing Haiku’s credibility.

Haiku Therapeutics

The partnership with MDC has allowed us to secure multiple Innovate UK grants and utilise capabilities such as state-of-the-art PET, which aren’t available elsewhere.

Alchemab Therapeutics

For the first time, we have been able to generate a map of lung fibrosis in 3D at the tissue scale. Collaborating with MDC has been key to its success. Their expertise has supported the successful integration of state-of-the-art technologies, establishing a valuable new resource for the lung fibrosis community.

University of Southampton

Working with MDC allowed us to visualise drug distribution in the brain with a level of clarity we hadn’t achieved before. Their expertise in DESI-MS and willingness to design a project that met our demands provided powerful insights into diffusion patterns, giving us confidence in our compound’s delivery.

TargTex

We worked with the Mass Spectrometry team at MDC to help set up and run a complex biochemical assay. The project was technically demanding, but the deep expertise, knowledge and collaborative approach allowed the team to troubleshoot the many challenges and successfully deliver a viable approach.

Oppilotech

The team at MDC shares our passion for bringing forward innovative medicines, pioneering new technologies, and operating with data-driven flexibility. They have been integral to our project success and possess unique capabilities to support later-stage candidate selection. A truly valued collaborator and dependable partner.

Artbio

Elasmogen was impressed by the quality and rapid delivery timelines for our radiopharmaceutical dosimetry data. There was good interactivity in this project, and we are happy to recommend this service.

Elasmogen

Our collaboration with Medicines Discovery Catapult will not only enable us to engage with the wider scientific community but will also allow us to unlock the potential of Acoustic Mass Spectrometry within drug discovery.

Innovative Medicines and Early Development (IMED) Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca

It’s been absolutely amazing working with MDC and the team.

LUNAC Therapeutics

MDC supported us in developing a therapeutic for Huntington’s Disease through antibody characterisation, iPSC model development, biodistribution studies, imaging and neurodegenerative expertise.

Alchemab Therapeutics

We worked together with MDC on a very challenging and demanding project. The MDC team’s expertise in MSI, commitment and flexibility were key to a successful collaboration and reaching our objectives.

TargTex

MDC are as involved in our project as the founding team, going above and beyond what I expected. I recommend them to new ventures starting out; even if you don’t know exactly what you need, the team can work with you to achieve some phenomenal results.

KLAS Therapeutics

Working with MDC has provided expertise and intellectual input. It has also enabled access to a wider network of companies providing specialist services.

N4 Pharma

By tapping into MDC’s unique drug development expertise and facilities, we are confident we will accelerate the preclinical development of our drug delivery system and its commercialisation.

Sixfold Bioscience

It has been a pleasure working with MDC as their scientists are pleasant and have a broad range of talents.
Importantly for projects like ours, they openly and professionally exchange ideas with SMi’s scientific team and keep us abreast of their research developments.

SMi Systems

It has been great to access the Artificial Intelligence expertise at Medicines Discovery Catapult.
The team has taken an innovative approach that adds value to our product and will benefit our customers.

BioAscent

As an SME, working with MDC allows us access to scientific know-how and in vivo imaging techniques that would be impossible through any other route. The closeness, timeliness and flexibility of the collaboration significantly accelerated our ability to develop the product.

Xerion Healthcare

We have collaborated with MDC for three years, and it continues to provide valuable and high-quality data on our molecules. MDC’s input has directly impacted operational and strategic decisions for our projects and allowed us to move forward with our clinical studies.

Revolo Biotherapeutics

For early-stage SMEs in this space, I thoroughly recommend engaging with MDC, who have the end-to-end knowledge in complex medicines, can support your in-house team and provide access to key equipment that start-ups may not have.

pHion Therapeutics








Your roadmap to success

Looking for expert advice, tailored strategy or flexible access to scientific capabilities?

Our Collaborative R&D team is here to help.

Fill in the form today and speak to us to see how we can help advance your drug discovery project.