A new funding call is now open, with up to £700,000 per project available for innovators advancing target validation for novel mental health drug discovery.
Wellcome launched the programme in collaboration with Medicines Discovery Catapult’s (MDC) Psychiatry Consortium to help enable early and robust target validation research.
The call will provide funding for validation activities for novel targets with a clear therapeutic concept and strong biological rationale related to early intervention in anxiety, depression and/or psychosis.
Funded proposals will generate data supporting novel targets’ therapeutic potential to inform the development of new and improved medicines.
One in four people in England will experience mental health problems each year, and more research is needed to understand, diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
MDC established the Psychiatry Consortium to help break down these barriers in psychiatric drug discovery.
The Consortium fosters collaboration between academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and charities to address the unmet needs of people living with mental health conditions. It is a globally recognised, gold-standard initiative with diverse expertise and resources to accelerate drug discovery and develop new, effective treatments for psychiatric conditions.
Sara Imarisio, Strategy Leader – Neuroscience at Medicines Discovery Catapult, said:
“The Psychiatry Consortium drives innovation in the mental health field, connecting academia and industry, providing targeted support, and encouraging international engagement. We are thrilled to collaborate with Wellcome and support this funding call, which will foster innovation and address critical unmet needs in psychiatric drug discovery.
“By enabling early and robust target validation research, we can help innovators generate data packages that support the development of transformative mental health treatments to improve patient outcomes.”
Lynsey Bilsland, Head of Mental Health Translation at Wellcome, said:
“We’re collaborating with industry experts to support robust target validation – a critical step in developing innovative drugs for mental health.”
Wellcome is hosting an informational webinar about the award at 13:00 GMT on 25 February 2025. Register via this link.
The funding call is now open, and preliminary applications must be submitted by 15 April 2025.
