MedChem Australia has announced selection of the first round of Portfolio and Pilot projects that will receive game-changing support with the provision of medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics expertise for promising drug discovery programs tackling a range of diseases.
The project leads are Adj. A/Prof. Elaine Wong and Professor Marcus Atlas, in collaboration with Dr. Victor Chuang Honorary Fellow at Ear Science, Prof. Lee Yong Lim and A/Prof. Connie Locher from UWA.
As a pilot project, the novel small molecules for treatment of sensorineural hearing loss project stands to benefit from the expertise of [drug discovery for sensorineural hearing loss that will pave the way to reduce the health burden of hearing disorders.
Commenting on the selection, project lead Ad. A/Prof. Elaine Wong said,
“I am very privileged to lead this ground-breaking research program and collaborate with MedChem teams at Monash University and WEHI to develop a new therapeutic intervention for hearing loss.”
Headquartered at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Parkville, MedChem Australia is a partnership between Monash University, WEHI, University of Sydney and Therapeutic Innovation Australia, with support from the Australian federal government’s Medical Research Future Fund.
MedChem Australia Director Professor Brendon Monahan said each selected project aligns with MedChem Australia’s goal to facilitate the translation of cutting-edge research into tangible advancements in drug discovery.
“Our thanks to everyone who submitted an application. We congratulate the successful applicants for their outstanding proposals and look forward to working with them to progress the projects towards becoming much-needed new safe and effective medicines that can transform the lives of people and communities around the world.
“Collaboration and multi-disciplinary teams are essential in developing new therapies. Our experienced drug hunters are able to contribute to these projects in a way that will add real value and set them up for success down the track,” Professor Monahan said.
Other selected projects are seeking to develop new therapeutic interventions for different cancers, heart disease, a paediatric genetic disorder and obesity.
Image caption: top row: Prof. Matthias Ernst, Prof. Rebecca Ritchie / Dr. Chengxue Helena Qin, Dr. Nicholas Liau, Prof. Marnie Blewitt. Bottom row: A/Prof. David Croucher, Dr. Sharissa Latham, Dr. Kim Loh, A/Prof. Elaine Wong
