November 28, 2011; Hyderabad, India: GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO), Asia’s leading drug discovery research & development organization, announced today that it has entered into a drug discovery alliance with the 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 optimization of small molecules in selected therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and central nervous system disorders.
The Moulder Center is a unique, fully integrated state-of-the-art 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. As part of the collaboration, GVK BIO will apply their integrated drug discovery expertise and technologies to identify interesting small molecules against selected targets. GVK Biosciences will be responsible for reagent generation, assay development and establishing the screening cascade leading to lead identification and optimization. Moulder Center and GVK BIO will be jointly responsible for designing the molecules for this program. The molecules will be optimized and progressed through lead optimization to a pre-clinical candidate.
“Utilizing GVK BIO’s discovery chemistry and biology capabilities, we look forward to working with the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research. Dr. Magid Abou-Gharbia, is a world renowned researcher with more than 26 years of research experience and we are pleased to be working with him. This collaboration with Temple University is among several academic collaborations GVK BIO has with leading research institutions. ” said Manni Kantipudi, Chief Executive Officer, GVK Biosciences.
“This business model reflects the increasing trend of collaborations between academic centers of excellence and pharmaceutical companies to discover new drugs.” said Dr. Magid Abou-Gharbia, Director of the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research and Associate Dean for Research in Temple’s School of Pharmacy “We are delighted to be working with GVK BIO’s experienced research and discovery team to further leverage both teams’ talents to identify innovative drug candidates”.
About GVK Biosciences
GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO) is Asia’s leading Discovery Research and Development organization. GVK BIO provides a broad spectrum of services, stand-alone and integrated, across the R&D value chain. Our discovery services consist of Chemistry, Biology and Informatics; the development services include Clinical Research, Clinical Pharmacology and Process R&D. GVK BIO’s diverse portfolio of more than 150 customers includes some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agro, life-sciences companies and leading academic institutions. Please visit us at www.gvkbio.com to know more.
About the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research
The Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research was established in Temple University’s School of Pharmacy in 2008. The newly-founded research center has already received over $10 Million in funding from private donations, federal grants, contract research, and a recent Temple University Drug Discovery Research Initiative. Led by its director, Dr. Magid Abou-Gharbia, the Moulder Center is a fully integrated drug discovery facility. The Center now has seven laboratories, including state-of-the-art medicinal chemistry and parallel synthesis facilities, screening laboratories, as well as new equipment and a 40,000-compound library that will allow for better drug screening and optimization. The Center also has pharmacokinetic / bioanalytical capabilities plus computer-aided drug design (CADD) for virtual drug screening. Three additional laboratories in molecular pharmacology and medicinal chemistry are also under construction. The Center is located in Philadelphia, Pa., a region that has historically been the home to so many of the pharmaceutical companies that it has become the heart of pharma or biomedical research, and has earned the moniker, “Silicon Valley of biomedical research and drug discovery.” The center’s research capabilities are enhanced through its numerous internal and external collaborations and partnerships.
For any further information, please contact:
Sharada Alvakonda
Dy General Manager – Corporate Communications
GVK Biosciences Private Limited
T 0044 743 8307768
E sharada@gvkbio.com
