Drug Discovery Collaboration in Chronic Pain

BioFocus and the University of Bristol have announced a new drug discovery collaboration aimed at developing treatments for chronic pain associated with diabetes (diabetic neuropathic pain). BioFocus will provide hit-to-lead and lead optimisation services for a Wellcome Trust funded program at the University of Bristol. Total contract value for BioFocus could exceed €3.3 million in research fees over two years.

This work is supported by a Seeding Drug Discovery Award from the Wellcome Trust, to a team of researchers led by David Wynick, Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Bristol. The project aims to develop a new analgesic drug based on the protein galanin, a small protein that has been shown to reduce neuropathic pain in a number of models of diseases, including diabetes. In earlier studies, several compounds from the BioFocus screening collection were shown to amplify the therapeutic effect of galanin in vitro. In the two-year collaboration BioFocus will provide medicinal chemistry, biology and ADME/PK for this research project, with

the goal to optimise these molecules for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain.

“This latest collaboration with the University of Bristol is a prime example of BioFocus’ ability to deliver results and thereby retain partners. Once again we see the BioFocus screening libraries deliver promising hits that are of interest to the academic and pharmaceutical communities,” said Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos, BioFocus’ parent company.

“Molecules from the BioFocus collection have shown promise in amplifying the therapeutic properties of galanin in models of neuropathic pain,” said Professor David Wynick from the University of Bristol. “In this new collaboration with BioFocus, we aim to further optimise these molecules into potential clinical candidates for the treatment of chronic pain associated with diseases such as diabetes.”