Research center recognized by pharmaceutical leader Eli Lilly

LAWRENCE – A University of Kansas research center has been recognized among the world’s elite drug discovery contributors by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co.

The KU Center for Chemical Methodologies and Library Development (CMLD) has received Eli Lilly’s inaugural 2012 Outstanding Contributors and Collaborators Award, which recognizes a select group of research organizations for outstanding partnerships in drug discovery.

The award is sponsored by Eli Lilly’s Open Innovation Drug Discovery (OIDD) program, which seeks to encourage “open innovation” – i.e., the removal of barriers and the sharing of research among organizations in a way that benefits participants and accelerates the drug discovery process.

The CMLD is one of only five award recipients selected from more than 700 OIDD members. The award recognizes the work of CMLD researchers David Hill and Patrick Porubsky, as well as Jeff Aubé, professor of medicinal chemistry.

“We’re incredibly proud to be recognized by Eli Lilly for our contributions to the drug discovery process,” said Hill. “For the world’s 10th largest pharmaceutical company to name us among an elite group of research organizations, it speaks volumes of the work we do here at KU.”

The OIDD program enables organizations like KU to submit novel compounds for screening by Lilly. From there, Lilly provides evaluations and data at no charge and with no obligation to the contributor. The investigator/institution retains intellectual property rights to the molecule, and at all times, the investigator/institution maintains complete control of the decision to move to the next step in the drug development process.

In recent years, the CMLD has developed more than 6,500 compounds and shared 1,500 of them with Eli Lilly for screening. The compounds so far have shown potential in a range of tests suggesting that some could be useful in combating diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and tuberculosis.