University and GSK join forces for drugs project

Funding: Wellcome Trust provides millions for public private healthcare initiative

Efforts by a joint team of researchers from Dundee University and healthcare giant GSK to combat some of the world’s most parasitic diseases have been bolstered by a multimillion-pound grant.

The £7.9 million award from the Wellcome Trust in late April came just months after it provided £13.6m to establish the Wellcome Centre for AntiInfective Research.

It is hoped the cash will help boost efforts to find new drugs to treat a number of devastating parasitic diseases that cost thousands of lives across the globe each year.

The new funding will enable the established Dundee/GSK team to continue their work to develop novel drugs to treat such diseases for the next five years.

“In partnership with GSK we have established the broad range of expertise required to discover these much-needed drugs,” centre director, Professor Paul Wyatt, said.

“The team combines world-renowned parasitology, extensive experience developing drug molecules that can kill the parasites and the substantial expertise and infrastructure required to develop drug candidates suitable for clinical trials.

“This funding from Wellcome is a vital boost to us achieving our five-year goal of producing three new drug candidates suitable for clinical trials in leishmaniasis and Chagas’ disease.”

Dr Jose Fiandor, director of GSK’s kinetoplastids discovery performance unit, said: “GSK is committed to discovery of new medicines for the treatment of these devastating diseases.

“The collaboration with the University of Dundee and this funding from Wellcome are vital boosts towards the achievement of our five-year goal.”

Wellcome’s director of innovation Steve Caddick added: “Wellcome is committed to working with partners to develop new treatments and we are delighted to announce support for the dedicated team of drug discovery experts at Dundee.”

Professor Paul Wyatt.