Projects
At the Medicines Discovery Institute we have a significant amount of funding for an extensive portfolio of small molecule drug discovery projects in brain health and cancer.
Current projects
Cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (AMPAR PAM)
Our lead compound, MDI-26478, is in a Phase 1 clinical trial.
Anxiety (alpha2/alpha3 GABAAR PAM)
We have been developing a non-sedating anxiolytic (‘Valium without the side-effects’). This compound could be used for several conditions such as anxiety, epilepsy, pain, or addiction. Our compounds are in late preclinical studies.
Postpartum depression (beta-GABAAR PAM)
This program seeks to restore levels of key signalling molecules following birth. We are completing optimisation to select preclinical candidate molecules.
Postpartum psychosis (Neuroactive steroids)
Postpartum psychosis is believed to be precipitated by a dramatic drop in circulating levels of key signalling molecules. This project aims to treat this illness without the severe side effects associated with existing medications. We are completing optimisation to select preclinical candidate molecules.
Schizophrenia (alpha5 GABAAR PAM)
Our compounds have demonstrated excellent activity in models of disease and we are completing optimisation before preclinical candidate selection.
Non-addictive treatment of chronic pain (alpha3-GlyR PAM)
This first-in-class drug will have a much-improved side-effect profile to existing treatments. Early lead optimisation is underway and our first molecules have already demonstrated exciting activities in models of disease.
The Medicines Discovery Institute is also developing new approaches to the treatment of cancer, for example:
Acute myeloid leukaemia (KAT2A)
This treatment invokes cellular processes to restore normal differentiation for stem cells, currently, relatively few options have been available to achieve this. Our compounds are in late preclinical studies.
