Seeking Proteases as Inhibitory Targets for Disease Treatment

Daiichi Sankyo, a global pharmaceutical company focused on creating innovative pharmaceuticals to address diverse medical needs, is seeking research related to the identification and mechanistic characterization of extracellular proteases whose inhibition suppresses disease onset or progression.

Approaches of interest

• Opportunities related to immune, cardiometabolic, or ophthalmic disorders (highest priority)
• Systemic inhibition of the protease anticipated to carry little to no toxicity, though this does not apply to protease inhibition for ophthalmic diseases
• Contribution of the protease to disease pathology validated by in vivo or ex vivo experiments involving knockout or knockdown of the protease
• Proposals including in vivo or ex vivo data, preferably using human-relevant disease models
• Clear outline of subsequent research steps
   

Out of scope:

• Cancer and all infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and HIV
• Studies on development of any modalities for specific protease inhibition
• Opportunities related to intracellular proteases
• Drug discovery and development platforms

Developmental stage of interest: Basic research (provided it is supported by wet-lab data) through preclinical research.

Please note: Full RFP is attached in the "More Information" section of this page. Faculty and researchers interested in applying for these opportunities based on technologies developed or disclosed at Vanderbilt must submit their proposals through the CTTC.