8.2.2. Layperson’s Summary Drug discovery research is a moving target, continually adapting to the opportunities afforded by new technologies. While cancer researchers have identified many clinically significant cancer-related targets, the critical challenge in advancing new molecules from ‘discovery’ to pre-clinical testing is the lack of ac-cess to the specialized and cutting-edge resources instrumented by multi-disciplinary experiences that are necessary to support the early phase of drug development effort. The GCC for Innovative Drug Discovery and Development (GCC-IDDD) goal has been to provide Texas’ re-searchers with access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise to enable the ...

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8.2.2. Layperson’s Summary Drug discovery research is a moving target, continually adapting to the opportunities afforded by new technologies. While cancer researchers have identified many clinically significant cancer-related targets, the critical challenge in advancing new molecules from ‘discovery’ to pre-clinical testing is the lack of ac-cess to the specialized and cutting-edge resources instrumented by multi-disciplinary experiences that are necessary to support the early phase of drug development effort. The GCC for Innovative Drug Discovery and Development (GCC-IDDD) goal has been to provide Texas’ re-searchers with access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise to enable the translation of their re-search into new treatments for cancers. The Targeted Therapeutic Drug Discovery & Development Program (TTP), the subject of this proposal, is a critical component of this more extensive program and is focused on supporting cancer researchers by utilizing a truly integrated and innovative approach of targeted molecu-lar drug discovery, uniting every key discipline to achieve their goals in a single platform. We believe that having such an integrated platform will increase the number of new drug candidates in Texas, reaching the pre-clinical testing stage that possesses the potency, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic parameters needed to engage and inhibit oncogenic targets in tumors. This CFSA grant proposes to expand and enhance the capabilities of the existing TTP. The physicians and scientists who are planning to take advantage of this uniquely expanded program are researching at the forefront of exploring new therapies for devastating diseases such as liver cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Research supported by the TTP will directly impact the development of new therapies for these and many other difficult-to-treat cancers.

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