WCAIR’s first training course in India

In November, David Gray, Cedric Graebin and Suze Farrell delivered their first training course in India.  The Practical Aspects of Drug Discovery programme has been run many times, and colleagues at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow were keen to have it run in India.  We were joined by Jeremy Burrows from MMV, and spent a week with scientists from throughout India discussing a range of topics relating to drug discovery.

The week starts with an introduction to developing your target product profile, which sounds simple, but requires a lot of consideration.  Then the course moves through selection and validation of targets, and hit discovery.  How do you choose the right biological assays and what does the data mean?  How do the chemists then adapt their compounds and then what does the DMPK data mean for the compounds’ progression?  Using a series of case studies, and using past experiences, the course team deliver useful information and insights into drug discovery programmes that have been successful and those that have not.

The participants split into mini pharma companies and have the week to work through data, on a limited budget, to try and provide a clinical compound with a full data package associated with it.  Always a fun exercise, and this year was no exception, where at least one team used some exceptional bargaining to stretch their budget!

It was a pleasure being in India, and our hosts welcomed us with some fabulous food and culture.  We hope to be back!