, in collaboration with () and (y), will use a combination of synthetic chemistry, computational modelling, structural biology and pharmacology to develop potential new smoking cessation agents.
Tobacco smoking is a global killer on a huge scale. There are 1.25 billion smokers worldwide, 50 per cent of whom will die from smoking-related disease if they continue to smoke. Many want to quit.
Effective smoking cessation aids would prevent millions of premature deaths and reduce the huge burden of smoking-related illness. There is enormous demand for effective, safe and cheap smoking cessation therapies.
Professor Mulholland said: “This project will explore promising new compounds for smoking cessation. We will work directly with industrial partners who will provide expertise and testing. This provides a direct route to developing new smoking cessation therapies and bringing these new discoveries to market.”
The project, , runs for three years.