The European Lead Factory is  a novel, open-innovation platform for drug discovery, managed by an international consortium of 30 partners and funded under the European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI).
Open to non-contractual parties, the EU Lead Factory is the first pharma and life sciences partnership of its kind. It has been designed to create unrivalled opportunities for the discovery of new drug lead molecules. Academics and SMEs now have access to an ‘industry-like’ discovery platform – one that encourages active participation. The ultimate goal is to address neglected diseases including bacterial infections, psychiatric disorders and oncology. 

High quality biology targets and chemistry scaffolds are now being sought. The goal is to promote cutting-edge research, and help to transform that research quickly into high-quality drug lead molecules on an unprecedented scale. Submitters of promising targets can also choose to partner with EFPIA companies, accessing the resources and support needed to progress all the way to drug trials.

Total project budget is around €196 million, with €80 million from the European Commission and €91 million of ‘in kind’ contributions from participating members of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). A further €25 million comes from non-EFPIA participants.