GPCRs' grand plans

In a move to expand tenfold the number of known 3D structures of the highly druggable class of GPCRs, Amgen Inc., Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Sanofi have teamed up with three academic organizations to create the GPCR Consortium-a precompetitive alliance to build an open-source repository of GPCR structures. The consortium could fill a hole left by the termination of the NIH-backed Protein Structure Initiative that until March constituted the main public effort to characterize GPCR structures.

Raymond Stevens-who started the consortium-told SciBX in late November that Novo Nordisk A/S will also join the group. He expects to sign up another pharma before year end, and he said that the consortium hopes to reach a total of eight industry members...