Project of the Year award
The MMV Project of the Year award is an internal MMV award, established in 2001 to recognise the most exciting drug discovery and development projects in the MMV portfolio and applaud the scientific partners involved.
The Project of the Year is selected by MMV’s independent Expert Scientific Advisory Committee at the end of each year.
MMV projects are subject to rigorous industry-style management and the Project of the Year is one that meets our demanding product profiles, has made rapid progress and has achieved its milestones.
2021: Raising the bar for all future preclinical candidates
Partner: GSK
Discovery of GSK4024484, a compound with potential for treatment of patients with uncomplicated malaria
2020: Malaria drug resistance profiling
Partner: Professor David Fidock, Columbia University
Team recognized for transformational impact on MMV’s resistance work over past decade
2019: Discovery of novel compound INE963
Partner: Novartis
Novel ʻirresistible’ compound enriches the malaria drug discovery pipeline
2018: Plasmodium falciparum's enzyme lysl-tRNA synetase
Partner: University of Dundee
A target-based approach to drug design
2017: SAR121
Partner: Sanofi
Using biology to help guide the search for new molecules
2016: Three discovery teams
Partner: University of South Florida, University of California, Mahidol Vivax Research Unit
Breaking through the basic biology of malaria relapse
2015: GSK692
Partner: GlaxoSmithKline
A novel compound steadfast in the face of resistance
2014: DDD498
Partner: University of Dundee, UK
One molecule: multiple lifecycle stages
2013: Tafenoquine
Partner: GlaxoSmithKline
A potential next-generation anti-relapse medicine for P. vivax malaria.
2012: MMV390048
Partners: University of Cape Town, South Africa; Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland; CDCO, Monash University, Australia
This novel antimalarial compound from the aminopyridine class becomes the first researched in Africa to enter preclinical development.
2011: Eurartesim® (dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine)
Partner: Sigma-Tau
This artemisinin combination therapy was granted European Medicines Agency approval in 2011. It can now be used safely and effectively and be deployed more widely.
2010: Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH)
Partners: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School; University of Washington; Monash University
This targeted antimalarial drug discovery project made impressive progress to bring inhibitors forward for clinical testing.
2009: Spiroindolones
Partner: Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases
This compound class emerged from a cutting-edge screen, providing novel chemistry with excellent antimalarial potential.
2008: Coartem® Dispersible
Partner: Novartis
The first MMV-supported medicine to be approved by a stringent regulatory authority and the first specifically tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable – children under 5 years.
2007: Queensland natural products
Partner: The Nature Bank at Eskitis Institute, Griffith University
The project combined the chemical diversity of natural products with the technological power of high-throughput screening in the search for the next generation of antimalarials.
2006: Next-generation OZ (synthetic peroxide)
Partners: University of Nebraska; Monash University; Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute; Roche
The synthetic peroxides hold promise of generating a fast-acting antimalarial of the future.
2005: Pyronaridine artesunate (Pyramax®)
Partner: Shin Poong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd
Pyramax progressed rapidly from Phase I into Phase II of clinical development.
2004: Falcipain project focusing on cysteine proteases
Partner: University of California San Francisco
The falcipain project was selected for its impressive progress over the year.
2003: 4 (1H) - pyridones
Partner: GlaxoSmithKline
The project moved from discovery to development in the record time of one year.
2002: Protein farnesyl transferase inhibitors
Partner: University of Washington
The project progressed rapidly from lead identification to optimization.
2001: Synthetic peroxides
Partners: University of Nebraska/Monash University/Swiss Tropical Institute/Roche
These compounds hold the potential to provide a synthetic alternative to the artemisinin derivatives, and therefore a medicine free from the vagaries of agricultural production.