Drug Discovery Centers

Moffitt Cancer Center Drug Discovery Program

Therapeutic Approaches: Small Molecules, Biomarkers

Therapeutic Areas of Expertise: Oncology

Center/Program Highlights:

The Moffitt Cancer Center Drug Discovery Program focuses on all aspects of drug discovery, from target identification and validation to chemical biology; using both structure-based drug design (x-ray crystallography) as well as high throughput screening; to in vitro validation using genetically engineered cells; to in vivo validation using animal models; to hypothesis driven clinical trials to translate laboratory findings to the clinic. At present the drug discovery program is pursuing 18 targets (Aurora, Rho, ACK1, CDK2, Akt, proteasome, Bcl-XL/Bax, Mcl-1/Bax, mdm2/p53, mdmx/p53, Rb/Raf, SHP2, E2F, FAK/IGF1R, GGT-1, FT, LPAAT and STAT3), 10 of which have already been through in vivo validation (PI-083, ARA-211, SPI-011, Wit(S3I), TCN, GGTI-2418, GFB-204, RRD-251, DeTT, AKI-1), 7 of these have been licensed to pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies or to Moffitt spin out companies (TCN, GGTI-2418, GFB-204, RRD-251, DeTT, AKI-1 and Wit), 3 of these have reached clinical trials (TCN, GGTI-2418, DeTT).

Sources of Funding: Philanthropy, University, Revenue, Federal/State,

Industrial Partnerships: All the Drug Discovery Program's industrial partnerships are with privately held companies.