NCATS Funding Available to Repurpose Existing Drugs

NCATS researcher Crystal McKnight examines a compound source screening plate prior to high-throughput screening. (NCATS)

September 6, 2018

NCATS has announced funding opportunities to use partially developed therapeutic candidates (also known as assets) to identify new treatments for a broad range of diseases. Through the Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules (New Therapeutic Uses) program, NCATS helps academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies establish collaborations to test existing drugs and biologics for possible new uses.

Investigators can propose new treatments using assets supplied by NCATS’ pharmaceutical partners: AstraZeneca, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, and Pfizer Inc. These assets have cleared several key steps in therapeutics development and testing, providing scientists with a strong starting point for their research. Pharmaceutical partners make certain information about experimental drugs and biologics available so that researchers can suggest new uses. By providing templates for research agreements between academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies, the New Therapeutic Uses program significantly shortens the time required to establish collaborations.

View the new funding opportunities:

• PAR-18-909: Pre-Application for the NIH-Industry Program: Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules (X02) (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  • NOT-TR-18-032:Notice of Change to Receipt Date on Pre-application for the NIH-Industry Program: Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules (X02 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PAR-18-909)
• PAR-18-910: Limited Competition for NIH-Industry Program: Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules (U01) (Clinical Trial Required)

Application deadlines are listed below. Interested researchers should submit a letter of intent 30 days before the application date.

X02 Application Deadlines

U01 Application Deadlines

Selected researchers whose X02 pre-applications are highly meritorious and relevant to NIH priorities will be matched with the appropriate pharmaceutical company. Once matched, applicants will work with the pharmaceutical partner to finalize terms and conditions of a confidential disclosure agreement before exchanging data and determining whether to begin negotiating a collaborative research agreement.

Pre-applications should outline clinical trial plans in the U01 phase. NCATS is authorized to support clinical trial activities through the end of Phase II for all diseases or conditions, and through the end of Phase III for rare diseases or conditions.