Sprint Bioscience AB (publ), together with MAX IV, has been awarded approximately SEK 940,000 in funding from Vinnova for a joint research initiative focused on alternative methods for fragment screening aimed at improving future drug discovery programs. The initiative combines Sprint Bioscience’s expertise in fragment-based drug discovery with MAX IV’s world-leading research infrastructure.
"Vinnova’s decision to fund this initiative together with MAX IV is a clear recognition of the expertise and scientific capabilities that Sprint Bioscience has built within fragment-based drug discovery. The collaboration provides us with an opportunity to explore new approaches that could strengthen future drug discovery programs while also contributing to the advancement of Swedish research infrastructure," says Johan Emilsson, CEO of Sprint Bioscience.
As part of the initiative, the partners will investigate how temperature affects the binding of small-molecule fragments, which serve as the starting points for Sprint Bioscience’s drug discovery programs, to their intended target proteins. The work will include comparisons between fragment screening conducted under both cryogenic conditions and at room temperature. The objective is to evaluate whether room-temperature studies can provide additional biologically relevant insights and thereby enhance future drug discovery efforts. At the same time, the collaboration will contribute to the further development of MAX IV’s capability to offer room-temperature data collection for industrial users.
The initiative will run from November 2026 to October 2028. Of the awarded funding, Sprint Bioscience may receive up to approximately SEK 704,000.