From the start, the ELF set out to recruit the most innovative, high-quality programmes from across Europe in all disease areas. The partnership combined complementary industry and crowdsourced portfolios to address critical unmet medical needs. For the crowdsourced portfolio, an application and review process was established to ensure scientific quality, novelty, and (technical) compatibility with the available screening infrastructure. The ELF took a strategic approach to its portfolio management aiming for a balanced portfolio of projects that were selected based first and foremost on patient benefit, but also on scientific impact, risk diversity, and economic potential of the full portfolio.
Overall, more than 300 drug discovery programmes were progressed through the ELF over the course of 11 years. Of these, 209 were industry programmes, five were programmes for the Medicines for Malaria Venture, and 108 were crowdsourced programmes. The crowdsourced programmes were selected from 215 submitted proposals. Screening proposals for crowdsourced programmes were received from 20 countries across Europe, indicating the richness and diversity of the ELF network. Approximately 30% of the crowdsourced proposals were submitted by SMEs.
A balanced portfolio of innovative targets and phenotypes in various disease areas was established. The ELF contributed to developments for cardiovascular diseases & haematology, CNS & neurology, infectious diseases (including neglected tropical diseases and COVID-19), inflammation and immunology, metabolic diseases, and oncology.
Target classes include enzymes, receptors, ion channels, protein-protein interactions, and various other targets and phenotypes.
In total, over 10,000 hit compounds were provided to programme owners for further hit optimization and drug development.