Making excellent basic research work for the patient
German biomedical basic research is widely considered to be world-class. However, there is vast room for improvement when it comes to transforming the basic findings into commercially viable and medically valuable products. It is a potential that the LDC is exploiting, transforming innovative research into pharmaceutical applications in close cooperation with academic partners. The LDC sees itself as a “translational drug discovery center” which paves the way for innovative drugs and therapies for the benefit of the patient.
The innovation gap between academia and industry
The greatest obstacle to start effective drug development is the flawed maturity level of most projects in basic research –
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a lesson well learned by Max Planck Innovation, the central technology transfer organization of the Max Planck Society which has been in the business for more than 40 years. Even if the projects are promising, industry partners and investors are unlikely to sign up at an early stage without first seeing a proof of concept.
In this early phase of research, the conventional models for risk and return analysis cannot be applied. Moreover, the short investment cycles in the capital market are not readily reconcilable with the development times of pharmaceutical projects. In addition, big pharma tends to exit early stages of drug discovery based on risk and cost considerations. Despite the steadily growing need for innovative drug discovery projects and novel modes of action for new therapies, the gap between basic research and industrial drug development is therefore continuously widening.
Bridging the gap sustainably
Since its establishment, the LDC has successfully contributed to closing the gap between basic research and industrial drug development, thanks to an innovative financing concept, ... more
a vast scientific network and integrated expertise in all disciplines of small molecule drug discovery.
In cooperation with academic and industrial partners, the LDC selects promising early-stage projects from public research institutions – including the Max Planck Society and renowned universities – and professionally transforms them into biopharmaceutical development projects. The results are innovative leads that meet the state-of-the-art standards of the pharmaceutical industry, which then further advance the lead compounds into clinical development and to the market. The academic partners are involved throughout the entire project until commercialization, which ensures that the gap between science and industry is truly closed.
New hope for patients
The LDC is thus instrumental in paving the way for novel drugs and innovative therapeutic concepts addressing critical and life-threatening conditions such as cancer, inflammatory disorders, and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. However, the LDC does not limit itself to blockbuster markets: in order to improve patients’ lives, it also investigates niche indications to meet the great need for new treatment options in these areas.
