A Perspective on Extreme Open Science: Companies Sharing Compounds without Restriction

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Drug Discovery
• Open Science

Background:

• The human genome encodes numerous proteins, but most remain uncharacterized, representing a significant gap in biological understanding.
• Identifying novel drug targets is crucial for advancing pharmaceutical research and developing new therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of open science, specifically the unrestricted sharing of small molecules, in illuminating the 'dark matter' of the genome.
• To establish a precedent for sharing chemical tools, such as kinase inhibitors, to facilitate research on understudied proteins.

Main Methods:

• Initiated a collaborative effort involving a pharmaceutical company, later expanding to multiple companies.
• Promoted the open sharing of published kinase inhibitors as chemical probes for research.
• Integrated open science principles with kinase chemogenomics.

Main Results:

• The open sharing of small molecules enabled the scientific community to study previously uncharacterized proteins.
• Established a model for inter-company collaboration in drug discovery research.
• Facilitated the identification and study of numerous potential drug targets.

Conclusions:

• Open science and the sharing of chemical tools are effective strategies for exploring the 'genome's dark matter'.
• This collaborative approach accelerates the study of novel drug targets and advances drug discovery.
• The integration of open science with chemogenomics provides a powerful framework for future pharmaceutical research.