Medicines for Malaria Venture, Daiichi Sankyo, GHIT deal
GHIT will invest an additional ¥63.7 million ($541,450) in the collaboration between Daiichi Sankyo and Medicines for Malaria Venture to develop small molecule antimalarial candidates. Daiichi Sankyo is performing synthesis and medicinal chemistry, and Medicines for Malaria Venture is conducting in vitro profiling assays and high throughput screening through its centers of excellence. The partners plan to identify a lead preclinical compound by July 31, 2016. GHIT invested $241,372 to support screening when the partnership began in June 2013.
Separately, GHIT launched its Grand Challenges initiative, which will award grants totaling about ¥200 million ($1.7 million) annually in early stage development of drugs, diagnostics and vaccines addressing infectious diseases prevalent in developing countries. Individual projects are eligible to receive up to ¥100 million ($850,000) apiece. Applications are due March 15, and the first grants will be announced in August. ...