IOCB Tech has opened PharmTheon, a high-tech center for new medicines in Prague

State-of-the-art laboratories have found their home at Harfa in Prague, where preclinical research will be conducted to bring promising molecules closer to the development of important medications.

"If the discoveries of modern science are to serve society with practical results, centers like PharmTheon are essential. In Prague, where we have access to a range of excellent scientific results at the intersection of chemistry and biology, such an institution has been regrettably missing. I am very pleased that the idea of PharmTheon has been brought to fruition. It is actually our duty to build upon the previous successes of the institute in the field of medicinal applications," commented Jan Konvalinka, Director of IOCB Prague.

The transfer of technologies into practice has long been supported by the Czech government, which has identified this area as one of its priorities in its program statement. The first project to be developed at the center is the development of substances that reduce the frequency of mutations in cancer cells. These mutations are the cause of resistance to some drugs used in the chemotherapy of cancer patients. This area is highly relevant and is currently somewhat overlooked.

"The development of new drugs is particularly challenging in the environment of academic institutions, where basic research is the priority. This may not align with efforts to promote the transfer of inventions into practice. Therefore, I consider the creation of a suitable environment that combines expert knowledge, financial resources, and technical equipment to be crucial. That is also the main reason why PharmTheon was established," explained Martin Fusek, the initiator of the center's establishment.

The creation of new drugs first requires an understanding of the mechanism of disease development and then attempts to influence these mechanisms with administered drugs. If substances that can positively influence certain pathological processes at the cellular level are found, these substances need to be optimized in terms of effectiveness, side effects, duration of action, and many other properties in preclinical research. This process is called translational research. Now, thanks to PharmTheon offering professional support to translational research and enabling more efficient collaboration among all involved parties, even better results can be expected.

PharmTheon Center is part of the IOCB Tech family, a subsidiary of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague.