World's largest collection of deprioritized pharma compounds opens to researchers

A collection of 68 deprioritized pharmaceutical compounds is being made available to academic researchers through a partnership between the UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) and seven global drug companies, the largest of its kind in the world.

From today, UK scientists can apply for MRC funding to use any of the compounds in medical research studies to investigate the underlying mechanics of disease, which may lead to the development of more effective treatments for a range of conditions.

Both clinical (those already tested in humans) and preclinical compounds feature in the extensive collection, which includes molecules developed initially for a wide range of diseases including for cancer, ADHD, narcolepsy and diabetes. At least 24 are known to cross into the brain, which might make them particularly interesting for neurological studies.