The European Lead Factory started work just over 3 years ago and have just released an update on results to date.

The EU Lead Factory is an IMI-funded project that aims to create new chemistry based on crowd-sourced ideas and boost applicants’ drug discovery programmes at no upfront costs

• A Sweden-based start-up company, ScandiCure AB, has been founded based on the results of an EU Lead Factory target programme. ScandiCure is developed with the support and investment of GU Ventures, which is wholly owned by the Swedish State.
• Patents on EU Lead Factory compounds for treatment of multi-resistant bacteria infections and cancer.
• An EU Lead Factory programme accepted by IMI’s ENABLE for preclinical development.
• In vivo proof-of-concept generated with EU Lead Factory compounds.
• 2 PhD thesis enhanced with EU Lead Factory target programme assay development and screening results.
• >35 scientific, peer-reviewed articles, whereof one is the 4th most downloaded article published in Drug Discovery Today in 2015.
• 450,000 compounds in the Joint European Compound Library (JECL), whereof >120,000 of the prospected 200,000 novel screening compounds have been synthesised. 330,000 compounds were selected and assembled from the EFPIA participants’ proprietary compound collections within 6 months of operation.
• Many testimonials of the high quality of the EU Lead Factory output and the JECL compounds. For example, 17/49 EFPIA partner screens have triggered further work.
• 72 public target programmes accepted, 48 high throughput screens finished and 41 hit lists with associated data reports handed over to the target owners.
• In total, 2925 qualified hits have been granted public and private target owners (1041 and 1884, respectively).
• >1500 bespoke compounds synthesised in hit validation and hit-to-lead phase of public target programmes.
• >10 crystal structures of target–compound complexes have been solved.
• >150 bespoke assays have been developed in order to extract the most interesting hits for public programmes.
• 12/14 of the public target programmes offered to the industry EFPIA participants have been asked to provide a dossier for further assessment.
• >30 academic postdoctoral fellows trained in industry methods and approaches.
• Researchers in 13 countries (BE, DE, DK, ES , FR , IT, IL, HU, NL, PL , PT , SE, UK) involved. Partners spread over 8 countries and target owners over 11.
• 2 Custom-built data management platforms, the Honest Data Broker system developed to enable screening data management and triaging, whilst ensuring confidentiality and patentability; TarosGate2, a chemistry workflow management system with a secure built-in electronic laboratory notebook.

I’ve been involved in a number of screens and we have been very happy with the results, this is a great resource long may it continue.

It is also worth noting that the next submission deadline is 10th October 2016, here is the link for submitting assays for consideration. https://www.europeanleadfactory.eu/how-to-submit/drug-target-assays/