Scouting programme for CDD projects

The scouting programme is a collaboration between the Centre for Drug Development (CDD) and KWF. The programme focuses on novel drug candidates for development by the CDD.

KWF invites researchers to submit projects involving promising drug candidates in late-stage preclinical development and/or approaching first-in-human studies. Through our strategic partnership with the CDD, we can co-fund selected projects and offer access to the CDD's expertise and infrastructure to support preclinical and clinical development.

The scouting programme runs year-round. There are no specific submission deadlines.

Apply for the CDD scouting programme

Background

Treatment options remain inadequate for many types of cancer, highlighting the urgent need for new and innovative therapies that address unmet medical needs and improve patient outcomes.

Significant advances in biomedical research, originating from both academia and industry, have led to a growing pipeline of promising therapeutic concepts. However, the transition from early innovation to a clinically viable investigational medicinal product remains a major bottleneck. While industry traditionally drives this transition, not all promising assets are taken forward, particularly when they carry high development risk, require substantial upfront investment or lack immediate commercial attractiveness.

As a result, both academic groups and emerging biotech companies face difficulties in advancing therapeutic candidates through the critical final preclinical and early clinical development stages. This pathway remains complex and resource-intensive, with key challenges including limited access to regulatory expertise, manufacturing capabilities, funding and integrated development support.

Aim

To address these challenges, the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF), in collaboration with the Centre for Drug Development at Cancer Research UK (CRUK), invites submissions to identify high-potential therapeutic candidates.

This initiative aims to accelerate the progression of academic and industry-driven innovations towards clinical development by providing access to financial support, integrated development expertise, infrastructure and strategic support.

Scope

KWF invites researchers to submit projects involving promising oncology drug candidates in late-stage preclinical development and/or approaching first-in-human studies. Through our strategic partnership with the CDD, we can co-fund selected projects and offer access to the CDD's expertise and infrastructure to support preclinical and clinical development.

Projects may be considered at the following stages:

• Late-stage preclinical development: up to approximately 6–9 months before lead candidate selection.
• Final-stage preclinical development: including completion of IND-enabling activities in preparation for clinical testing.
• Early clinical development: drug candidates ready for early clinical testing (Phase I/IIa).

We are seeking high-potential new drug candidates that address clear unmet medical needs in oncology and are backed by a strong scientific rationale and robust preclinical data.

All cancer drugs regulated as medicinal products are eligible. Eligible modalities include, but are not limited to:

• small molecules;
• cell and gene therapies;
• nuclear medicine;
• immunotherapies.

Both academic research groups and (spin-off) companies based in the Netherlands are invited to submit a scouting form.

Why collaborate with CDD?

KWF collaborates with the Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development (CDD), a pharmaceutical development facility working closely with Cancer Research Horizons (CRH).

The CDD has been pioneering the development of new cancer treatments for over 30 years, bringing more than 170 potential new anti-cancer agents into clinical trials, 6 of which have reached marketing approval.

The CDD provides expertise in:

• preclinical and medical sciences;
• regulatory affairs;
• quality assurance;
• project management;
• legal support;
• drug safety;
• clinical operations;
• data management.

These capabilities are used to sponsor, coordinate and oversee Phase I and Phase I/IIa trials for promising new drug candidates, with co-funding from KWF and CRUK.

Support offered by CDD

The CDD offers extensive expertise to help researchers overcome barriers to clinical translation, including:

• CMC and drug supply: pharmaceutical development, drug product manufacturing, drug supply chain management.
• Preclinical development: CTA/IND-enabling studies, PK and PD assay development, trial design and protocol development, support for translational research.
• Regulatory interactions: scientific advice meetings, CTA preparation, CTA submission.
• Early-phase clinical trials: ICH-GCP trial sponsorship, site selection and feasibility, clinical trial management, database management.

Approved projects will be (co-)funded by KWF and brought into the CDD portfolio, where CDD's experienced team will plan, sponsor and run early-phase clinical trials within the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMC) Network in the UK. The CDD can also support preclinical and IND-enabling activities.

Projects are taken on by the CDD for further development, always in close alignment with the submission initiator. KWF strongly prefers the inclusion of Dutch centres in clinical trials, subject to agreement with the CDD in the context of the project-specific agreement.

The project-specific agreement grants CRUK licence rights to the product for the purpose of conducting the preclinical work and/or clinical trials. Intellectual property rights arising from the study are licensed to the partner for further development of the product. If the project team does not continue development independently, CRUK may facilitate further development through partnering opportunities following successful clinical testing.

What we are looking for

For all detailed requirements, please check the Specific Guidelines for CDD projects.

We are seeking innovative projects that:

• Focus on the development of novel drug candidates
  Projects must involve a novel drug candidate with strong preclinical evidence supporting a viable pathway to clinical trials. First-in-class candidates are preferred, with best-in-class agents considered where there is clear differentiation.
  
  For projects that are still at the preclinical development stage in preparation for clinical testing, in-scope activities include efficacy studies, mechanism-of-action studies, GLP toxicity studies, target validation and supporting biomarker programmes.
   
• Address unmet medical needs
  Projects should address significant gaps in the safety and/or efficacy of the current standard of care, including for rare, paediatric and hard-to-treat cancers.
   
• Require expertise from the CDD
  Projects must demonstrate a clear need for the CDD's specialised resources and expertise to advance towards clinical development.

The programme is open to all researchers and private parties, such as spin-offs and biotech companies, based in the Netherlands.

Applicants are required to have full ownership of, or the ability to secure, all relevant rights (including intellectual property rights and freedom to operate) to the investigational medicinal product.

When private parties apply directly, the application should clearly explain why conventional investors have not yet shown interest, or have shown only limited interest in the drug candidate, and why funding from KWF is therefore essential.

Out of scope

The following are not eligible:

• repurposing of registered pharmaceuticals for new indications;
• combination therapy of registered pharmaceuticals;
• non-Dutch private parties as initiator;
• non-Dutch research institutions as initiator;
• (early) diagnosis of recurrent disease, monitoring during therapeutic interventions and/or patient stratification for therapeutic interventions without an interventional and pharmaceutical development set-up, such as observational research;
• investigational medicinal products with no or limited freedom to operate.

Submission and review process

Projects can be submitted throughout the year using the scouting form. 

Completed forms should be submitted as a PDF to [email protected].

Scouting forms undergo an initial internal assessment by KWF's pharmaceutical team. After positive evaluation, projects are shared with the CDD for further evaluation.

Projects are assessed through the CDD's internal review process, which consists of several review stages (see Specific Guidelines for CDD projects for further details).

The scouting form does not replace the Stage 1 review. It serves as a complementary document that enables the CDD to perform an initial assessment and provides a streamlined and structured sourcing process between KWF and the CDD.

If the CDD expresses interest in a drug candidate, the project team will be invited to an introductory call with the CDD and may subsequently proceed to a full Stage 1 review and the subsequent review stages.

Before the Stage 2 review, an NDA between CRUK and the project team will be put in place.

A positive evaluation by the CDD at all stages is required for funding by KWF.

Timeline

The scouting programme for CDD projects runs year-round. There are no specific submission deadlines.

Indicative budget

KWF may contribute up to € 2 million per project. This amount represents KWF's financial contribution only and does not necessarily reflect the total project budget, which may be supplemented by funding from the CDD/CRUK.

More information

The Specific Guidelines for CDD projects provide further information on the application requirements, scope, review process and applicable conditions. 

Projects funded in collaboration with the CDD are subject to a project-specific agreement and to terms and conditions from both KWF and the CDD.

For each funded project, specific terms and conditions are agreed separately between CDD and KWF in relation to KWF's funding contribution. The project-specific agreement between the applicants and CRUK sets out the terms and conditions applicable between those parties.

Throughout the contract drafting process, CRUK maintains an open dialogue with the submission initiator. There is ample opportunity for discussion between applicants and the CDD about both the execution of preclinical work or the clinical trial and the future development trajectory.

KWF oversees adherence to KWF goals and standards in projects funded within the CDD-KWF programme.

Contact

For more information, please contact:

[email protected]