GlaxoSmithKline is opening up its in-house R&D work involving more than two million molecules in hopes of spurring some fresh thinking on malaria vaccines. CEO Andrew Witty, who's been intent on burnishing the company's reputation, says that Glaxo researchers have identified 13,500 compounds that show promise against malaria. And the Big Pharma exec says Glaxo will also donate all of its revenue from an experimental vaccine to help fund the fight against tropical diseases.
GSK assigned five scientists to screen its enormous small molecule library for new compounds that could fight malaria. It's also pursuing large trials of a new vaccine that GSK plans to file for approval in 2012.
"This is the furthest anybody's gone; nobody has put in the public domain the product of a two million screen" of small molecules, Witty said. "These are essentially the building blocks from which all of our drugs eventually come."
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