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Letter of Intent due: March 1, 2012, 11:59 PM ET

If LOI is accepted, APPLICATION is due: April 12, 2012, 11:59 PM ET

Background

The New Therapy - Commercialization Grants Program is a unique partnership between two leading epilepsy non-profit organizations, the Epilepsy Therapy Project and the Epilepsy Foundation. The mission of the New Therapy - Commercialization Grants Program is to drive the development of new therapies for epilepsy, accelerating the advancement of research from the laboratory to the patient. Funding is provided to academic and commercial groups worldwide. The Program seeks to advance the development of new therapies including but not limited to medicines, biologics or devices. All proposals must demonstrate a clear path from the lab to the patient and are evaluated with consideration for their potential value to patients, likelihood of successful development including regulatory approval and the timeframe of development. The Program also encourages 1:1 matching grants to academic and commercial entities to support the commercialization of novel approaches to the treatment of epilepsy. Preference will be given to proposals that already have a commercial partner engaged to assist with development, and to proposals that have committed or matched funding from a sponsoring institution, commercial partner or other third party source.

New Therapy - Commercialization Grants Program

Applicants must demonstrate background work beyond the basic science discovery stage.

Areas of interest include:

• Novel approaches to treatment.
• Platform technology to advance screening techniques that can be utilized by multiple laboratories, including utility of techniques for early proof-of-concept trials.
• Adaptation of treatment in development for another therapeutic area to assess utility for epilepsy (while maintaining patent protection).

All proposals will be evaluated by our Business and Scientific Advisory Boards, as described below:

Proposals are rated on the likelihood of success by the Business Advisory Board as:

1. Intellectual Property Strategy & Status; Freedom To Operate
2. Can this Get to Patients: Investment Potential & Likelihood of Ongoing Funding Support
3. Probability of Success / Time Factor
4. Fit with Program Mission / Patient Impact
5. Overall Impression

Proposals are rated on the likelihood of success by the Scientific Advisory Board as:

1. Quality of Science
2. Probability of Successful completion of milestones / outlined program
3. Timeframe of Success
4. Fit with Program Mission / Impact on Patients
5. Overall Impression

 

These grants are awarded only to programs that have progressed beyond the basic science discovery stage. Investigators are strongly advised to have their compounds screened, as appropriate, by the NINDS ASP Program, http://www.ninds.nih.gov/research/asp/index.htm. Investigators are expected to have an established record of achievement in the area. Full intellectual property (IP) rights (composition of matter) are preferred over method of use IP. Clinical programs must have a reasonable protocol and sample size to assure that the results will be meaningful; studies of patients should describe the type of seizure/epilepsy that will be investigated. Device programs should present novel concepts for treatment.

Confidential information should NOT be sent to ETP or provided in any grant application without advance discussion with ETP and only with appropriate confidentiality agreements.

Scientific questions about appropriateness of an application should be directed to Roger J. Porter, MD, roger@epilepsytherapyproject.org.