Hyderabad-based GVK Biosciences today said it has entered into a drug discovery alliance with Philadelphia-based Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research at Temple University.
As part of the multi-year integrated drug discovery collaboration, GVK Bio will be responsible for the target validation, lead identification and lead optimisation of small molecules in selected therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and central nervous system disorders, it said in a statement.
"As part of the collaboration, GVK Bio will apply their integrated drug discovery expertise and technologies to identify interesting small molecules against selected targets," it added.
Moulder Center and GVK Bio will be jointly responsible for designing the molecules for this program. The molecules will be optimised and progressed through lead optimisation to a pre-clinical candidate, it said.
The Moulder Center is a drug discovery center that is used for both internal research within Temple University and for external collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech companies and other universities.
"This collaboration with Temple University is among several academic collaborations GVK Bio has with leading research institutions" GVK Biosciences CEO Manni Kantipudi said.
Commenting on the development, Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research Director Magid Abou-Gharbia said the business model reflects increasing trend of collaborations between academic centers of excellence and pharmaceutical companies to discover new drugs.
