Eli Lilly phenotypic drug discovery project to engage worldwide researchers

Eli Lilly has embarked on a drug discovery initiative that will engage researchers from around the world to develop new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.

The initiative, called the Lilly Phenotypic Drug Discovery Initiative (PD2, pronounced PD-squared), uses Lilly-developed disease-state assays and a secure web portal to evaluate the therapeutic potential of compounds synthesised in university and biotechnology laboratories. Findings from this initiative could ultimately form the basis for collaboration or licensing agreements between Lilly and external institutions.

"Each year, researchers throughout the world design and synthesise compounds in university and biotechnology laboratories that are never fully evaluated as potential drug candidates," said Alan Palkowitz, vice president of discovery chemistry research and technologies at Lilly. "There's an untapped source of ideas and compounds in the greater scientific community that could ultimately have an impact on patients' lives following further evaluation and development."

Collaborations between Lilly and external researchers are not new; however, the PD2 initiative is designed to provide a more convenient point of entry for global external researchers into Lilly's drug discovery and development process.

"Increasingly, innovation depends on a broad network of relationships outside our walls," said Palkowitz, adding that PD2 is another example of Lilly's transformation from a Fully Integrated Pharmaceutical Company (FIPCO), to a Fully Integrated Pharmaceutical Network (FIPNet).

Through the PD2 interface, researchers confidentially submit a structure of their compound for an initial computational evaluation using a set of proprietary Lilly algorithms focused on drug-like properties and structural novelty. If the compound structure meets certain specified criteria, the researcher is then invited to submit a physical sample for biological testing.

All testing by Lilly is free, and all intellectual property rights remain with the submitting researcher and/or institution at this stage. An objective of PD2 is to encourage the testing of molecules that represent novel structural diversity.

After biological testing is completed, Lilly will provide the external researchers with a data report that will include a biological profile of the compound across the four assay modules (Alzheimer's disease, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis).

In return for these data, Lilly has first rights to negotiate a licensing agreement with submitters of those compounds. If there is no agreement within a defined time period, the researcher is granted no-strings-attached ownership of the data report and can choose to use it in publication or grant proposals, or to refine further structural hypotheses.

Peter Wipf, professor of chemistry and of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, said the major potential benefits of PD2 include the ability to test compounds in well-validated assays, the comprehensive nature of the data reports and the opportunity to exchange ideas with Lilly experts on compounds of interest.

The potential benefit for Lilly is increased access to top global research talent, novel therapeutic hypotheses and chemical diversity.

"We believe open collaboration with a network of scientists will create new venues to deepen our understanding of complex biological processes and eventually to discover novel therapeutics that benefit patients," said William Chin, vice president of discovery research and clinical investigation at Lilly. "Ultimately, our hope is that the patient will be the biggest winner."