ATMCF

The Australian Translational Medicinal Chemistry Facility (ATMCF) is a purpose-designed and outward-facing collaborative facility, translating new discoveries in disease biology into suitably targeted therapeutics for clinical development. ATMCF partners with suitable researchers and companies to efficiently and effectively address the multifaceted requirements of drug-discovery. We optimise small bioactive molecules into high performance drug candidates by making them more drug-like, potent, selective and efficacious, and in a clear space for licensing. We work strategically with partners in a cost-effective manner to navigate through the pitfalls of drug discovery, by working through key-decision gates, e.g. suitability of molecules as starting points for optimisation, intellectual properties, target-validation, and proof-of-concept studies. Subject to the proof-of-concept, we undertake a medicinal chemistry-directed optimisation to ensure that the target product profile for the drug candidate is met. Based on the specified agreements, we can collaborate from the starting molecules through to a well characterised and optimised drug candidate, and assist with further pre-clinical development for clinical trials, or we can pass the optimised compounds (or lead-series) and the associated IP back to the partner. We can undertake more targeted efforts in the synthesis, such as by carefully designing pharmacological probes, generating specific active compounds including natural products, and introducing bio-conjugation of small-molecules into targeting peptides. The ATMCF has seamless and facilitated access to a number of ancillary partners to excel in medicinal chemistry and ADME-lead optimisation.