The Innovation Institute recently awarded grants from the Chancellor’s Gap to four Pitt innovation teams working on “small molecule” drug discovery projects to enable experiments to validate their innovations. The results of these experiments can stimulate the interest of potential external investors or partners.
Established by Chancellor Gallagher, the Gap Fund has been instrumental in moving several promising Pitt innovations forward on the path to commercialization.
“The Chancellor’s Gap Fund has been instrumental in helping Pitt innovators avoid the ‘valley of death’ for their innovations by providing funding for critical de-risking experiments or the development of prototypes,” said Peter Allen, Executive Director, Inventor Engagement and New Ventures at the Innovation Institute.
Below is a summary of the funded innovation projects:
“Optimization of Small Molecule Allosteric Modulators for Bone and Mineral Ion Diseases”
Principal Investigators:
Jean-Pierre Vilardaga,
Department of Pharmacaology & Chemical Biology
Ivet Bahar,
Department of Computational and Systems Biology
Collaborator:
Peter Wipf,
Department of Chemistry
This team is using seeking to develop compounds to treat osteoporosis and mineral ion disorders such as hypercalcemia, hyperparathyroidism and hypophosphatemia. The technology has been published in Nature Chemical Biology and is patent protected. The funding will assist in selecting the best compounds for further development in vitro pharmacological characterization, optimize the efficacy and potency of the selected molecules and to validate the optimized compound in native cells.
“Small Molecule Inhibitor/Degrader of BCL11a for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease
Principal Investigators:
Toren Finkel,
Director, Aging Institute
Bill Chen,
Professor, Aging Institute
Yuan Liu,
Assistant Professor, Aging Institute
The team is working to identify a small molecule that inhibits the function of BCL11a, which has been demonstrated to increase production of fetal hemoglobin in people suffering from sickle cell disease leading to a resolution of their symptoms. The funding would be used to validate the affinity of hit molecules for action against BCL11a and to evaluate their characteristics.
“Engineered Fatty Acids for Treating Chronic Liver Disease”
Principal Investigators:
Francisco Schopfer,
Associate Professor Pharmacology and Chemical Biology
Fei Chang,
Research instructor, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology
The PIs are developing structurally engineered fatty acids to treat metabolic disorders and their underlying inflammatory conditions. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the leading cause of liver disease with limited treatment options. The team’s lead molecule, FA-1101, modulates a key enzyme in lipid metabolism. The funding will be used to conduct experiments confirming the biological target for the lead molecule.
“Development of a Novel Lead for the Chemical Modulation of Kv7 Potassium Channels”
Principal Investigator:
Peter Wipf
Department of Chemistry
Dr. Wipf’s lab is seeking to develop a new class of small molecules for engaging potassium ion channels that have potential therapeutic benefit for a wide variety of diseases, such as epilepsy, diabetes, tinnitus, neurodegeneration, and pain. These would represent an improvement over an initial class of drugs that were approved but eventually removed from the market due to severe side effects. Dr. Wipf plans to focus a first-stage clinical development of the lead compound for noise-induced tinnitus in collaboration with the Pitt Hearing Research Center.
If your lab has produced an innovation with commercial potential and you are considering next steps, contact the Innovation Institute for consultation on programming and funding opportunities at innovate@pitt.edu