FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2024
CONTACT: Daniel Jacobs
press@sciencecoalition.org
The Science Coalition Applauds the University at Buffalo for Receiving $2.5 Million NIH Grant to Enhance Drug Discovery
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Science Coalition (TSC) congratulates the University at Buffalo (UB) for receiving a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to improve the speed of drug development.
The award will help researchers – led by Dr. David Heppner, Jere Solo Assistant Professor of medicinal chemistry at the University at Buffalo – explore fundamental questions about drug discovery, a costly and time-consuming process that often has high rates of failure.
“The vast majority of small molecule drug development programs are done by throwing as much against the wall as possible and seeing what sticks,” says Heppner. “Our research efforts aim to reduce costs and maximize resources by using chemistry to alleviate guesswork in the development pipeline.”
The results of this new project will apply to all drug targets, though researchers will focus on protein kinases, a group of enzymes that can potentially slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. The UB research team will also study several factors that impact drug potency – including the placement of linker molecules and active assays.
“Developing medicine more efficiently can save time and resources – and it has tremendously positive implications for the efficacy of treatments,” said Jill Pentimonti, president of the Science Coalition. “We’re proud to see the University at Buffalo – an important member of the Science Coalition – continue to propel pharmacological innovations with the support of robust and sustained federal investments.”
Pentimonti added: “Thanks to federal funding in fundamental scientific research, institutions like University at Buffalo can continue to expand our understanding of drug development and improve Americans’ health and well-being.”
Learn more about University at Buffalo’s recent NIH grant-supported study here.
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About The Science Coalition (TSC)
The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive America’s global competitiveness. Learn more at www.sciencecoalition.org.