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The research project “Improvement of the translational prediction of non-clinical assays in humans" (MELIUS), coordinated by Neuropharma S.A., part of the Zeltia group, and which involves the IRB Barcelona research group “Metabolic engineering and diabetes”, headed by Joan J. Guinovart, is one of 15 projects awarded funding through the CENIT programme by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.
MELIUS is the only project in biomedicine that will receive R+D+i funding through the CENIT programme. This project seeks to develop new tools to improve the prediction of toxicity in humans of compounds that are in pre-clinical trials. Specifically, the Metabolic Engineering and Diabetes lab will be responsible for defining new metabolic markers of hepatic toxicity.
Part of the governmental initiative called “Ingenio 2010”, the CENIT programme promotes collaboration in R+D+i activities between the public and private sectors and the generation of knowledge that can be used to develop new products, processes, services or the implementation of technologies of strategic interest. Thus, the projects chosen by CENIT seek to boost planned research in technological fields of high international projection. The average amount granted to each project is 27 million euros.
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
