Cambridge, UK, January 22, 2013 / B3C newswire / -Domainex Ltd, specialists in drug discovery solutions and translational research support, has today announced that it is launching its Discovery STAR Award to support academic groups at the early stages of drug discovery.

Domainex’s STAR Award scheme will provide successful applicants with virtual hit screening using Domainex’s LeadBuilder platform and/or drug discovery consultancy services. The aim will be to bridge a current ‘funding gap’ for these activities, thereby allowing projects to progress to an inflection point that is suitable for larger external grant-funding schemes such as the TSB/MRC Biomedical Catalyst Fund, The Wellcome Trust’s SDDI scheme, European Union FP7, and MRC DPFS.

Translational research is the conversion of early-stage discoveries into new health products. Domainex is a leader in the support of academic translational research and has secured funding with numerous groups at the forefront of drug target research. Once funding is in place, and in full collaboration with the academic partner, Domainex has then deployed its own capabilities in medicinal and computational chemistry, biochemistry and DMPK testing to progress hit compounds through to the identification of clinical candidate drugs.

Eddy Littler, Chief Executive Officer of Domainex, said: “Domainex has successfully supported numerous academic groups across Europe and UK to apply for drug discovery funding from a range of sources – these include The Institute of Cancer Research; St. George’s, University of London; and the University of Manchester. However, small-molecule hits are typically required before funding can be secured, and the application process can be challenging for those without a commercial background. Domainex’s Discovery STAR Award will enable this gap to be filled for the selected recipients.”