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Using Electron Microscopy (EM) in drug discovery

Why Electron Microscopy? 88% of the 210 drugs granted FDA approval between 2010 and 2016 were informed by structural biology. Traditionally structural biology has been underpinned by X-ray crystallography and to a lesser extent NMR. However, significant improvements in the field of Electron Microscopy (EM) has provided a powerful approach to studying protein structure. Traditionally […]

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Infiltrating the blood-brain barrier

The role of the blood brain barrier By nature, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) was designed to protect the brain and the central nervous system (CNS) from toxins, inflammation, injury and disease. The barrier is made up of highly specialised cells that strictly regulate the movement of molecules into the brain, only allowing essential nutrients and […]

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Orphan drug review

In the previous article, we established the procedural aspects of EU Orphan Drug Designation. Now let’s look at what elements of orphan disease applications require a more detailed review by COMP (Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products). Prevalence of the disease This definition is quite clear, but it’s important to understand how the terms of classification […]

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Orphan drug development

Rare diseases in the European Union Increased awareness of rare diseases and a favourable investment environment for orphan drug development represent opportunities for academic research and SMEs. To convert this potential into patient benefits, research impact and financial revenue it is essential to understand this topic in-depth and navigate pivotal regulatory processes, such as the […]

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Techniques in kinase profiling

The role of kinases in human disease is well known in the drug discovery world, making them significant therapeutic intervention points. There are over 500 known kinases in the human kinome and over 150 are mutated or misregulated in various disease states. However, developing a selective kinase inhibitor can be both challenging and time consuming. […]

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Engaging with the innovators of tomorrow

At Medicines Discovery Catapult we like to collaborate and help young data scientists get into pharma. “The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads. That sucks.” – Jeff Hammerbacher That’s why we have partnered with University of Sheffield Data Analytics MSc. Providing a project and dataset that will […]

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If you liked c1cccnc1, you’ll love c1cncnc1

One of our collaborators, Intellegens, recently published a great paper in JCIM – Imputation of Assay Bioactivity Data Using Data Learning – focusing on applying Deep Learning approaches to tackle the problem of sparse data, a recurring issue in drug discovery. Sparse data typically arise when compounds are being assayed against multiple biological targets, but […]

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A guide to sourcing biosamples

Medicines Discovery Catapult and the BioIndustry Association stated in their 2018 State of the Discovery Nation Report, that: “… over 80% of SMEs surveyed agreed that access to biosamples is hugely important for commercial development” and “… as many as 80% found accessing UK samples unexpectedly difficult…” A major recommendation of this report was that […]

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Using AI in drug discovery

In recent years, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become widely popularised in all areas of modern life, and drug discovery is no exception. Why AI? The benefit of AI for detecting novel drug-target interactions, or even in silico design of novel drug-like compounds, is clear. The possible chemical search space of potentially synthesizable […]

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