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H2020Doctoral network2016–2019

AEGIS · Accelerated Early staGe drug diScovery

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-01-01 → 2019-12-31
EU contribution
€3,836,996
Participants
24
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Accelerated Early staGe drug diScovery

The development of potent and safe new drugs - especially for rare and neglected diseases - is one of the biggest challenges of the upcoming decades, as shown by many recurring epidemics, including the current COVID19 pandemic. The aim of the AEGIS ITN was to implement a unique comprehensive, cross-disciplinary, intersectorial and structured curriculum for PhD students in the European Research Area by establishing an integrated training platform for the next generation of European researchers in early drug discovery. Important added value was provided through networking with European pharmaceutical companies. A main research goal of AEGIS was improving the efficiency and success of early stage drug development by combining innovative methods and techniques. This should allow to tackle novel promising but challenging targets (i.e. protein-protein interactions), which are often neglected due to the high risk associated with their validation. The overall aims of the AEGIS project were: Aim 1: Train a new generation of researchers in integrated structure-based drug discovery in an open innovation collaboration between academic and industrial partners for enhancing their employability Aim 2: Offer ESRs access to world-class expertise and infrastructure in an intersectorial and multidisciplinary research environment Aim 3: Accelerate and improve early drug discovery by developing novel methods Aim 4: Identify lead compounds for targets involved in rare and neglected diseases of urgent medical need Aim 5: Form a sustainable network of academic and industrial drug discovery centers of excellence and ESRs that will last beyond the AEGIS timeline. AEGIS researchers were effectively trained and now contribute to a highly skilled workforce for Europe that will multiply as they will pass on their experience and integrative training to their working environments in academia and industry. AEGIS was an important factor for the career development of its young researchers (many already found attractive jobs in academia, biotech and pharmaceutical industry), thereby promoting a sustainable development in innovative drug discovery, in particular for rare and neglected diseases.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The development of effective novel drugs - especially for rare and neglected diseases - is one of the biggest challenges of the upcoming decades, as illustrated by the recent Ebola outbreak. Moreover, European innovation in new drug registrations is dramatically falling behind compared to the US and Asia.The principal aim of the AEGIS ITN is to implement the first comprehensive, intersectoral cross-disciplinary and structured curriculum for doctoral students in the European Research Area by establishing a unique training platform for the next generation of European researchers in early drug discovery. A significant added value is provided through networking with key European pharmaceutical companies. A key research aim of AEGIS is improving the efficiency and success of early stage drug development by combining innovative methods and techniques to tackle difficult but promising targets (i.e. protein-protein interactions), as potentially valuable drug targets are often neglected due to the high risk associated with their validation.The consortium joins leading academic and industry researchers in an open innovation environment for innovative drug development in Europe. It is supported by several additional partners and stakeholders in the field. Integrated training of the fellows takes place at the host institute and by secondments, research schools and individual training within the AEGIS network. The scientific training includes complementary skills, management, intellectual property rights, fund raising, communication and career planning. AEGIS will improve the availability of a highly skilled workforce for European industries and research, greatly enhance the employability and the career perspectives of young researchers for academia as well as for industry, and will be the seed of a sustainable development in innovative drug discovery, in particular for rare and neglected diseases.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • HELMHOLTZ ZENTRUM MUENCHEN DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER GESUNDHEIT UND UMWELT GMBH · NeuherbergCoordinatorGermany
  • ASTEX · MADRIDSpain
  • ASTRAZENECA AB · SodertaeljeSweden
  • Boeters & Lieck · MünchenGermany
  • EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH · ZuerichSwitzerland
  • ENAMINE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY,RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE · KYIVUkraine
  • EURORDIS - RARE DISEASES EUROPE · ParisFrance
  • GIOTTO BIOTECH SRL · FIRENZEItaly
  • INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE · ParisFrance
  • INSTITUT PASTEUR · ParisFrance
  • Jagiellonian University in Krakow · KRAKOWPoland
  • MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV · MUNCHENGermany
  • NOVARTIS PHARMA AG · BaselSwitzerland
  • PHILIPPS UNIVERSITAET MARBURG · MarburgGermany
  • RIDGEVIEW INSTRUMENTS AB · VangeSweden
  • RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN · GroningenNetherlands
  • RUHR-UNIVERSITAET BOCHUM · BochumGermany
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · MuenchenGermany
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN · EindhovenNetherlands
  • TelesisPharma · GroningenNetherlands
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZE · FlorenceItaly
  • UNIWERSYTET JAGIELLONSKI · KrakowPoland
  • UNTERNEHMERTUM GMBH · GarchingGermany
  • UPPSALA UNIVERSITET · UppsalaSweden

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union