Pharmaceutical-style Cores

Pharmacology Core
PIs: Vidmantas Petraitis, M.D. and Matt Zimmerman

The CETR Pharmacology Core is dedicated to mitigating attrition stemming from pharmacokinetic (PK) and toxicity-related factors by providing a rigorous selection process for pharmacologic profiling of drug candidates. The Core will provide comprehensive support to the five CETR Projects directed at combatting clinically significant, high-risk, drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, including non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococci, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Burkholderia spp. All five Projects have compounds in the advanced lead optimization phase, and the Core's principal objective is to expedite the progression of these compounds for preclinical drug candidate (PDC) selection and support Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies.
Vidmantas.Petraitis@hmh-cdi.org
Matthew.Zimmerman@hmh-cdi.org

Medicinal Chemistry Core
PIs: James Merritt, Ph.D. and Joel Freundich, Ph.D.

The Medicinal Chemistry Core (MCC) will provide synthetic and medicinal chemistry, cheminformatics, and structure-based design resources complementary to those existing within the respective project teams. It will integrate tightly with the other Cores. The MCC resource will distinguish itself by relying on extensive pharmaceutical medicinal chemistry experience in antibacterials melded with academic strengths in drug discovery and development. Critically, the MCC staff leadership has demonstrated an ability to produce drug candidates by evolving small molecules to address a wide range of problems encountered during the lead optimization process.
James.Merritt@hmh-cdi.org
freundjs@njms.rutgers.edu

Animal Model and Microbiology Core
PIs: Andrew Nelson, DVM and Barry Kreiswirth, Ph.D.

Evaluating candidate compounds against drug resistant bacterial pathogens in specialized in vitro assays and robust and reproducible in vivo preclinical models predictive of human biology and disease are crucial to the advancement of compounds towards preclinical candidacy. To contribute to the rapid development of such medical countermeasures, the Animal Model and Microbiology Core will provide a collection of genetically defined drug resistant clinical isolates and clinically relevant systemic, soft tissue, pulmonary, and cardiac bacterial infection models.
Andrewm.Nelson@hmh-cdi.org
Barry.Kreiswirth@hmh-cdi.org

Administrative Core
PI: David Perlin, Ph.D.

The Administrative Core plays a pivotal role in optimizing research operations and resource allocation, closely aligning with Project Leaders and Core Directors. This centralized structure fosters seamless communication, overseeing all operational aspects to ensure efficiency and cohesion. Our comprehensive support system encompasses grant management, secure data sharing, intellectual property protection, internal and external reporting, conflict and fiscal management, collaboration communications, and data dissemination aiming to maximize project execution efficiency. Synergy among projects is cultivated by leveraging diverse chemistries toward shared pathogens or molecular targets, complemented by the Center’s collaborative ecosystem that fosters accelerated drug discovery.
Madhuvika Murugan, Ph.D.
Madhuvika.Murugan@hmh-cdi.org