SAINT-PREX, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ferring today announced the recipients of the 2016-2017 Ferring Innovation Grants program, an annual initiative of the Ferring Research Institute (FRI) which provides grants of up to $100,000 for early stage research.The program focuses on novel extracellular drug targets addressable with peptides or proteins within Ferring’s core therapeutic areas: reproductive health, gastroenterology, urology, and endocrinology.

The 2016-2017 awardees and their research subjects are:

Stuart Brierley - Flinders University, Australia
Venom-derived NaV1.1 inhibitors as novel candidates for treating chronic visceral pain associated with IBS

James Deane - Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Australia
Investigating the requirement for Notch and Hedgehog signalling in the endometrial stem/progenitor populations that cause endometriosis

Laurent Derré – Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Switzerland
Understanding Siglec-related immunity in bladder cancer

Marie van Dijk - University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
ELABELA as a potential biomarker and therapeutic for pre-eclampsia

Renjie Jin - Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA
Sensitizing castration-resistant prostate cancer to anti-androgens by targeting gastrin-releasing peptide receptor

Florenta Kullmann - University of Pittsburgh, USA
Artemin: a novel target for treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

Mireille Lahoud - Monash University, Australia
The development of Clec12A-ligands as a therapeutic approach to regulate gastrointestinal inflammation

Padma Murthi - Monash University, Australia
Investigating the role of novel peptide receptor as an effective target to improve placental function in preeclampsia

Markus Muttenthaler - The University of Queensland, Australia
Mapping the location and function of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors throughout the gut

Rodrigo Pacheco – Fundación Ciencia & Vida and Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
Targeting heteromers formed by G-protein coupled receptors involved in the gut-homing of T-cells in inflammatory bowel diseases

Aritro Sen – The University of Rochester, USA
Regulation of AMH expression by GDF9+BMP15 and FSH during follicular development as a novel therapeutic option

“We look forward to the outcomes of the research being carried out by our grant awardees,” said Keith James, President of FRI and Senior Vice President, Research and Development. “Ferring is committed to stimulating basic research, with the ultimate aim of developing innovative products that improve the lives of patients.”

Applications for the 2017-2018 Ferring Innovation Grants programme will open in spring/summer 2017. For more information on this year’s program, visit www.ferring-research.com/ferring-grants.

ENDS

About Ferring Research Institute Inc
Located in San Diego, California Ferring Research Institute Inc. (FRI) is the global peptide therapeutics research center for Ferring Pharmaceuticals. FRI is committed to building a portfolio of novel, innovative peptide-based drugs and biologicals to address the high unmet medical need for patients in our therapeutic areas of interest. For more detailed information please visit www.ferring-research.com.

About Ferring Pharmaceuticals 
Headquartered in Switzerland, Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a research-driven, specialty biopharmaceutical group active in global markets. The company identifies, develops and markets innovative products in the areas of reproductive health, urology, gastroenterology, endocrinology and orthopaedics. Ferring has its own operating subsidiaries in nearly 60 countries and markets its products in 110 countries. To learn more about Ferring or its products please visit www.ferring.com.