January 13, 2020

Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company (SPARC) and the University of Michigan are collaborating to kickstart research and development  of potential new medications. The international pharmaceutical company will provide up to $10 million in funding and industry resources for new drug-discovery projects at Michigan Drug Discovery. The majority of the partnership will go towards funding early-stage discovery grants, but SPARC will also provide resources to host trials, bring the final products to market, and everything in between. Areas of focus include oncology, neurodegeneration, inflammation, dermatology, and ophthalmology. 

Michigan Drug Discovery is a campus-wide collaboration between the College of Pharmacy and six other U-M departments with the goal to find, fund, and mentor drug discovery projects originating from faculty research. Dean Jim Dalton also serves as a chair for the executive committee.

The SPARC-MDD partnership will offer two funding competitions per year for U-M faculty. The first campus-wide call for proposals is now open. SPARC leadership will host an information session about the partnership on April 23, 2020. For additional information, check out Michigan Drug Discovery.