Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules
Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules is a collaborative pilot program designed to develop partnerships between pharmaceutical companies and the biomedical research community to advance therapeutic development. This innovative program matches researchers with a selection of molecular compounds from industry to test ideas for new therapeutic uses, with the ultimate goal of identifying promising new treatments for patients.
NCATS has collaborated with eight companies, including AbbVie (formerly Abbott), AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C., Pfizer, and Sanofi. Collectively, these companies have agreed to make 58 of these compounds available for the pilot program. The compounds have undergone significant research and development by industry, including safety testing in humans, providing a strong starting point for scientists and permitting the process to move more rapidly.
Through the Therapeutics Discovery program, NCATS is re-engineering the way the various sectors collaborate. Not only does the program seek to match novel scientific ideas to existing compounds, but it also provides template agreements, reducing the negotiation time that could otherwise delay the research.
Funding Announcements
In Fiscal Year 2013, for the initial pilot phase, NCATS will provide up to $20 million to fund two- to three-year staged, cooperative agreement research grants. Learn more about Therapeutics Discovery funding information.
NOT-TR-12-008: Clarification for the NIH-Industry Pilot Program: Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules
RFA-TR-12-004: Limited Competition for NIH-Industry Pilot Program: Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules (UH2/UH3)
RFA-TR-12-005: Limited Competition for NIH-Industry Pilot Program: Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules (UH3)
Library of Agents
The Therapeutics Discovery library of industry-provided agents features compounds and biologics that have undergone significant pre-clinical and
Phase I testing and are ready for additional testing in humans.
Template Agreements
To facilitate and speed collaboration, NIH has developed template agreements designed to streamline the legal and administrative process for participation by multiple organizations.
Program Launch
On May 3, 2012, NIH launched the Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules program at a press conference in Washington, D.C.
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Other Partner Projects
Medical Research Council announced support of 15 drug repurposing projects. AstraZeneca is a partner in both the MRC and NCATS Therapeutics Discovery programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- About Therapeutics Discovery
- About the UH2/UH3 and UH3 Limited Competition Applications
- About the X02 Pre-Application PAR-12-203 (Expired August 15, 2012)
Technical Assistance Webinar
NCATS held a Therapeutics Discovery technical assistance webinar on Monday, June 25, 2012. Download the slides from this event.
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