Schrödinger and TB Alliance Announce Collaboration to Accelerate Tuberculosis Drug Discovery

Schrödinger and TB Alliance announced a three-year research collaboration to speed the development of next-generation tuberculosis (TB) treatments by leveraging Schrödinger’s advanced computational platform for drug discovery.

The joint team is focused on the discovery of efficacious inhibitors of PknB, which is essential for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). Schrödinger’s computational platform has led the team to highly potent inhibitors with promising pharmacokinetic properties, after only a handful of design and optimization cycles. The next phase of the collaboration will involve in vivo efficacy studies and lead optimization to inform selection of a development candidate.

TB Alliance, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the discovery, development, and delivery of new, faster-acting TB drugs, brings a deep expertise in TB biology and drug development to the collaboration. Schrödinger, a privately held company revolutionizing drug discovery through advanced molecular simulations, brings its industry-leading platform and successful track record in drug discovery across a range of indications.

“Tuberculosis is the leading cause of infectious disease death worldwide, yet it’s long been neglected in drug discovery. We’re proud to team up with a global leader in TB research to accelerate the development of better medicines for millions of patients,” said Ramy Farid, Ph.D., president and CEO of Schrödinger.

“The pipeline for new TB treatments demands continuous innovation,” said Mel Spigelman, president and CEO of TB Alliance. “By expanding our strong partnership with Schrödinger, we will move more quickly to develop new drug compounds that can make an impact on the TB epidemic. People with TB deserve affordable, safe, fast, and effective cures. We are determined to deliver.”