Partnerships

We research ideas into therapeutic solutions that generate better health outcomes for our communities, drug discovery needs to go from the bedside to the bench and back to the bedside.

We actively seek out the input and guidance of external stakeholders and partners, from identifying clinical problems and unmet needs, to advising on the feasibility and commercial potential of new solutions.

There are a number of ways to engage with us, from formal research partnerships to advisory and mentorship roles, to participation in research networking our events.

Researcher development programs

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Our partners

External stakeholders are a crucial link between University researchers and the widespread commercial and clinical enterprises that guide drug discovery research in industry and government spaces.

The breadth of our research and engagement activities at the DDI enable us to create long-term partnerships with unique research and business aims and outcomes in each case.

Some of the ways in which our partners have engaged with us:

University of Sydney spin-off company, EndoAxiom received $2.2 million in backing from Australian biotech incubator Proto Axiom to help bring their drug delivery technology to the clinic.

EndoAxiom was founded by Professor Victoria Cogger, Professor David Le Couteur AO and Dr Nicholas Hunt (also CEO), building on the IP developed through Dr Hunt’s participation in the Sydney Spark program.

Kinoxis Therapeutics have partnered with global pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim in a $273m deal, to develop oxytocin-targeting precision treatments aimed at improving the quality of life for people living with psychiatric disorders.

Compounds developed by Professor Michael Kassiou’s drug discovery team for Kinoxis Therapeutics will be used to target oxytocin receptors with the aim of creating medicine to treat schizophrenia, depression and other neuropsychiatric illness.

In May 2023, the DDI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pharos Therapeutics, the Australian subsidiary of South Korean pharmaceutical company Pharos iBio.

The MoU will provide access for DDI to Pharos iBio’s proprietary AI drug development platform, Chemiverse, Pharos will benefit from working with the University’s world-class team of researchers and state-of-the-art drug-discovery infrastructure.

This major partnership between University of Sydney spinout Kinoxis and Boehringer Ingelheim is a shining example of why the University is so committed to supporting research translation and commercialisation and the innovators who want to bring their ideas to life.

Professor Mark Scott

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President

“This major partnership between University of Sydney spinout Kinoxis and Boehringer Ingelheim is a shining example of why the University is so committed to supporting research translation and commercialisation and the innovators who want to bring their ideas to life.”

Professor Mark Scott University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President

Dr Nicholas Hunt and Professor Victoria Cogger in a lab

Endo Axiom co-founders Dr Nicholas Hunt and Professor Victoria Cogger

We are incredibly excited to be working with Pharos Therapeutics, which will bring its cutting-edge artificial intelligence platform Chemiverse to this partnership.

Professor Michael Kassiou

Academic Director, Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation

“We are incredibly excited to be working with Pharos Therapeutics, which will bring its cutting-edge artificial intelligence platform Chemiverse to this partnership.”

Professor Michael Kassiou Academic Director, Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation

Community Outreach and Engagement

We are proud to partner with the high school outreach program, Breaking Good, led by A/Prof Alice Motion. Breaking Good is a citizen science project that aims to empower high school and undergraduate students to be active researchers in open-source projects that will improve human health.

The program has been opening University doors to high school students since 2021. In the past year, 207 students from Hurlstone Agriculture School and Cherrybrook Technology High School participated in day-long workshops, synthesising potential drug candidates to discover novel treatments.

Stay in touch

Email

ddi.ea@sydney.edu.au

Media enquiries

arefeh.mahali@sydney.edu.au