Finnish Drug Discovery Center visited the University of Oulu – support from research to new drug innovations
FDDC CEO Maarit Merla (left), Jouko Uusitalo, Anna Haapalinna, Lari Lehtiö, Markku Känsäkoski and Julia Lindqvist.
Could your research lead to a potential drug candidate?
The Finnish Drug Discovery Center (FDDC) visited the University of Oulu on 20 May to support researchers in taking the next step towards new drug innovations. FDDC CEO Maarit Merla introduced the Centre’s collaboration opportunities and support services, as well as pathways for advancing academic research towards drug development and commercialization. FDDC representatives Anna Haapalinna and Julia Lindqvist also took part in discussions with researchers, together with Jouko Uusitalo and Markku Känsäkoski from the Innovation Centre.
While academic research generates many discoveries with potential for drug development, only a small fraction advances to practical development stages. There are many reasons for this: promising preclinical results do not always translate into efficacy in humans, and moving from research to development requires funding, a solid IP strategy, and long-term development efforts.
FDDC focuses specifically on this transition phase – helping to move research results towards development readiness and investment potential.
How FDDC supports researchers
FDDC acts as a partner to research organizations and provides support especially in the early stages of drug discovery.
Key support services include:
Identifying the potential of research and advising on possible development pathways
Providing drug discovery expertise and strategic guidance
Supporting IP strategy and patenting
Connecting researchers with investors and industrial partners
Collaborating closely with Innovation Services with a low threshold for engagement
FDDC also offers different collaboration models, such as:
Co-development: FDDC works with the university as an equal partner, with both parties contributing to the development process, often with the goal of jointly establishing a new company.
Proof-of-idea funding for early-stage experiments: Grants of up to approximately €30,000 are available to generate early evidence of feasibility and support further development decisions.
Consulting: FDDC provides expert support across different stages of drug discovery without obligations for further collaboration.
Investment or acquisition of IP rights: FDDC can participate in projects by making investments or acquiring intellectual property rights as part of advancing the project towards commercialization.
In successful drug development cases, FDDC can also support the establishment of a company and take a small ownership stake. Their risk-sharing model lowers the threshold for researchers: if the development effort does not lead to results, the funding does not need to be repaid.
FDDC experts also emphasized that becoming an entrepreneur is not a requirement for collaboration. Collaboration pathways can be tailored to the researcher’s goals, whether the aim is further research, publication, or commercialization.
At the University of Oulu, for example, Professor of Structural Biology Lari Lehtiö has advanced his drug discovery projects in collaboration with FDDC. He also shared his experiences and insights during the event.
Innovation Centre supports researchers
The University of Oulu Innovation Centre plays a key role in developing new inventions. Support includes, for example:
Identifying and further developing inventions
Assistance with contracts and intellectual property matters
Guidance in the patenting process: patent protection is often a prerequisite for securing external funding and partnerships
Support in obtaining funding
Building collaboration networks
If your research has potential for drug development or other innovations, it is worth exploring the opportunities with the help of experts. FDDC and the Innovation Centre offer guidance and help identify the best pathways towards commercial solutions.
Contact the Innovation Centre:
Markku Känsäkoski: +358 29 448 7506, markku.kansakoski(at)oulu.fi
Janne Haverinen: +358 29 448 8055, janne.haverinen(at)oulu.fi