News

With six running target programmes, the virtual biotech The Research Network is unsurpassed in submitting interesting drug discovery programmes for screening by the European Lead Factory (ELF).

The European Lead Factory set out to assemble a screening collection of half a million compounds. Now, that ambitious goal has been reached. A truly pan-consortium achievement.

During the lifetime of the European Lead Factory (ELF), both the number of screens performed per year and the size of the Joint European Compound Library have increased steadily. 

Based on the hits generated by the European Lead Factory, Dr Richard Mead, University of Sheffield, started the spin-out virtual biotech Keapstone Therapeutics, a world-first type of partnership between Parkinson's UK and the University of Sheffield.

The European Lead Factory (ELF) acknowledges the need for open exchange between researchers with different professional backgrounds and puts a focus on the career development of young scientists.

It is antimicrobial resistance (AMR) awareness week. AMR is a major threat for public health. Worldwide, researchers are looking for drugs that can slow down or even reverse resistance emergence. 

The European Lead Factory congratulates 19 early career researchers that have been nominated to participate in the ELF Annual Chemistry Learning & Achievements meeting at the Janssen Campus (Janssen Pharmaceutica NV) in Beerse, Belgium, 6-7 November 2017! 

The European infrastructure EU-OPENSCREEN and the European Lead Factory executives of the European Screening Centre and the Public Chemistry Consortium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration in future initiatives.

Anyone, any disease, any target. About 20 years ago, Prof Frank Gunn-Moore, University of St Andrews discovered a protein, which he suspected was involved in the deterioration of the brain that causes dementia. 

Dr Will Unsworth, a talented young group leader at the Department of Chemistry, University of York, has been awarded the highest monetary incentive for the library he designed based on cyclic peptide mimetics.

Dr Mario van der Stelt, University of Leiden, has been awarded the prestigious Dutch Prix Galien Research Award (Galenus Researchprijs Nederland).

In agreement with the European Lead Factory partners, the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) has agreed with a no-cost extension of the term of the ELF project to the end of May 2018.

Having discovered an interesting protein involved in depression and pain, Dr Patrick McHugh, University of Huddersfield, wanted to access chemical tools to further explore its role and action.

Every year since 2015, around 50,000 public compounds, designed and synthesized by the European Lead Factory chemistry partners, have been added to the ELF screening collection the Joint European Compound Library.

The French biotech company CELLIPSE has taken the next step towards novel treatments for leukaemia patients thanks to the European Lead Factory.