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Lead Discovery Center (LDC), Germany

The Lead Discovery Center (LDC), a spin-off company of Max Planck Innovation, was established a novel approach to capitalize on the potential of excellent basic research for the discovery of new therapies for diseases with high medical need.

With a world-class team of interdisciplinary scientists, drug discovery experts, pharmacologists and seasoned project managers, the LDC takes on promising early-stage projects from academia and transforms them into innovative pharmaceutical leads that reach initial proof-of-concept in animals.

In close collaboration with high-profile partners from academia and industry, the LDC is building a strong and further growing portfolio of small molecule leads with exceptional medical and commercial potential. Target indications of these LDC molecules cover a broad range of diseases including cancer, inflammation, infection and metabolic, neurological or neurodegenerative diseases. www.lead-discovery.de

The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, United States

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. Over the past decades, TSRI has developed a lengthy track record of major contributions to science and health, including laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. The institute employs about 3,000 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists-including three Nobel laureates-work toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. www.scripps.edu.

The Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3), Belgium

The Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3) is an investment fund and technology transfer platform focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines by building further on the enormous pool of basic knowledge, innovation and technology of universities and spin-off companies. CD3 ensures that fundamental biomedical research is translated into promising small molecule therapies with proof-of-concept in animals which can be further developed by pharmaceutical companies or form the basis for new companies. In this way, CD3 bridges the gap between academic innovative research and the pharmaceutical industry.

CD3 was set up by KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) at the end of 2006 and has currently an investment capacity of 24 million euro. In the past years, CD3 has taken the initial steps in more than 25 projects in order to develop potential new medicines for various disorders with an unmet medical need, including viral infections (e.g. HIV, Dengue virus), various cancers, asthma, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and pain. www.cd3.eu

Medical Research Council (MRC) Technology, United Kingdom

MRC Technology is a technology transfer organisation responsible for adding commercial value to cutting edge scientific discoveries through strategic patent protection, creative licensing of intellectual property (IP), partnered research or further scientific development.

As well as offering technology transfer services to the UK's Medical Research Council the Company has recently broadened its activity to include helping other charitable and academic organisations (such as AICR) with IP management and commercial development of healthcare-related science, thus bringing valuable income back to the organisations to help fund further research.

MRC Technology also has small molecule drug discovery and therapeutic antibody facilities, providing lead-stage therapeutic assets to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. technology.org">www.mrctechnology.org

Cancer Research Technology, United Kingdom

Cancer Research Technology (CRT) is a specialist commercialisation and development company, which aims to develop new discoveries in cancer research for the benefit of cancer patients. CRT works closely with leading international cancer scientists and their institutes to protect intellectual property arising from their research and to establish links with commercial partners. CRT facilitates the discovery, development and marketing of new cancer therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and enabling technologies. CRT is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cancer Research UK, the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. technology.com">www.cancertechnology.com



Contacts:
Barry Gee
Director, Communications
The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD)
bgee@cdrd.ca