The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN) (http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/bpdrugs/index.htm) have established a ‘virtual pharma’ network of contract service providers and consultants with extensive industry experience to enable therapeutic (e.g., small molecule, peptide, biologic) development in the NIH research community. The Network and similar NINDS and NIH programs offer researchers access to a range of industry style therapeutic development services and expertise, including medicinal chemistry, IND-enabling studies, and Phase I clinical trial infrastructure, with the goal of supporting efforts to advance compounds successfully through Phase I clinical testing.