GRIDD the new home for chemical compound library

The Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) has become the new home for a uniquely curated library of 329,000 chemical compounds used to advance drug research in Australia.In agreement with the Australian Lead Identification Consortium (ALIDC), the Australian Drug Discovery Library (ADDL) will be relocated from Scotland to the GRIDD Compounds Australia facility in Brisbane.GRIDD Director Professor Katherine Andrews said the move would provide sustainable access to a large compound library and advance discoveries by Griffith researchers and scientists around the country.“Griffith University’s involvement in the ALIDC partnership strengthens national capability in drug discovery and epidemic preparedness, facilitating new collaborative opportunities that aim to improve human health,” Professor Andrews said.“Compounds Australia now houses approximately 1.5 million compounds that can be assessed to find new therapies for any disease, including cancers, infectious diseases and others.”The ALIDC is a collaborative consortium of leading drug discovery organisations from around the country, including Griffith University, and was established to provide Australian drug discovery organisations with open access to a purpose-built screening library of compounds.Compounds Australia Facility Manager Moana Simpson said the relocation of the library to Australia would improve efficiencies, develop national compound management infrastructure, and support the ALIDC’s therapeutic lead identification platform.“The ADDL is a carefully curated library that is designed to cover diverse drug-like chemistry space and is a valuable resource for the discovery of new medicines,” Ms Simpson said.“This library composition is unique in Australia and globally, providing the nation’s researchers with a comprehensive compound library to support therapeutic lead identification.“Local access will speed up drug discovery projects and hopefully lead to a greater chance of achieving successful health and commercial outcomes.”The library was purchased with assistance from the Australian Government through its MTPConnect program and a $300,000 grant to the GRIDD Compounds Australia facility from Therapeutic Innovation Australia will help maintain the library and promote access to it by scientists throughout Australia.Originally published in Griffith News by Paige Carfrae.