Abstract

Drug Discovery in Academia: Small Molecule Therapies for the Treatment of Cancer

Julian Blagg, Deputy Director, Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research

The Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit (CTU) at the Institute of Cancer Research is an integrated multidisciplinary centre dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. It is one of the largest academic cancer drug discovery groups in the world and, together with its collaborators, has discovered 17 preclinical development candidates since 2005, 9 of which have been licensed to biotech or major pharmaceutical companies; 8 compounds are currently in clinical trials. This presentation will exemplify, through scientific case histories of clinical candidate and chemical probe discovery, important factors that underpin our team science-based approach to the discovery of new cancer therapies. The talk will conclude with a personal perspective on future opportunities and challenges for academic drug discovery.