# Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Development Core - SR

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2022 · $937,501

## Abstract

The Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Development Core (MCLDC) is a key component of the Antiviral Drug
Discovery and Development Center (AD3C) that will contribute to the goals of the overall Center of Excellence
for Translational Research (CETR) program to develop new replication inhibitors and other broad-based
therapeutics for the treatment of emerging pathogens through its interaction with each of the individual projects
and cores. The MCLDC will provide a) synthetic chemistry, b) structure-activity relationship (SAR) data and
analysis, c) lead optimization chemistry, d) bioanalytical assays, e) structural biology and computational support,
and d) compound storage and data management. In this role, the MCLDC, in conjunction with the Assay Core,
will be the central focus of the translational research component of the program. As such, the MCLDC will work
closely with the Assay Core and each of the Research Project teams. As new chemical entities are designed
and synthesized during the lead generation and optimization processes, the Assay Core will test these analogs
in SAR-driving assays. Testing of compounds for drug-like properties such as microsomal stability and solubility;
and in vitro Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) will be an integral part of SAR studies
from the early developmental phase. Appropriate lead compounds will be provided to the various Research
Project teams for advanced studies including efficacy, mechanism of action, and other experiments. The
resulting data on lead compounds from the Assay Core and Research Projects will then be analyzed by the
MCLDC to drive the iterative lead optimization and in vivo PK studies to completion, resulting in optimized leads
with drug-like properties for animal studies. The lead candidates will have met the go/no go decision criteria set
for activity, potency and drug-like properties. The goal for the end result of this process will be identification of
novel optimized lead molecules that are appropriate for IND applications. The MCLDC will incorporate key
personnel of other Cores and Research Project teams into the prioritization and decision–making procedures.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10380663
- **Project number:** 5U19AI142759-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** ASHISH KUMAR PATHAK
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $937,501
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-03-07 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10380663

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10380663, Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Development Core - SR (5U19AI142759-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10380663. Licensed CC0.

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