Two ways to work with Illum

We partner with pharma and biotech teams through two complementary offerings: State-resolved Profiling & DMTA-aligned Rational Design and Optimisation. Both are built on the same core capability: conformation-resolved pharmacology in live-cell plasma membranes.

Tell us where your programme is stuck

Whether the challenge is lead ranking, efficacy optimisation, pathway bias, or selectivity, we can scope the most appropriate engagement model together with you.

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A. ConfoSeq Profiling

State-resolved pharmacology for discovery decisions

ConfoSeq Profiling is designed for teams that need a clear, state-resolved view of how compounds behave at a GPCR target. It provides a mechanistically richer basis for comparing libraries, reference ligands, and chemical series than is possible with conventional downstream readouts alone.

Scope

  • State-resolved pharmacology for Class A and B GPCRs

  • Gs, Gi, Gq, and β-arrestin 1/2

  • Libraries up to ~ 1,000 compounds

  • Full dose-response titrations or end-point measurements

Best suited for

  • hit triage

  • lead ranking

  • comparative profiling of chemical series

  • early assessment of efficacy, pathway bias, and selectivity

  • identification of compounds that appear similar in aggregate assays but behave differently across receptor states

Deliverables

  • conformation-resolved pharmacological data

  • comparative analysis across compounds or series

  • a data dossier including data and analysis

  • a clearer basis for prioritisation and next-step decisions

B. ConfoSeq Rapid Rational Design and Optimisation

From measurement to engineering

ConfoSeq Rapid Rational Design and Optimisation is designed for teams that want to actively engineer pharmacology rather than merely describe it. This offering is structured around close collaboration and DMTA-aligned iteration.

Illum works with partners to co-design initial libraries, rescue false-negative fragments, rationally recombine high-value moieties, and optimise the pharmacological variables that matter most for programme success.

Scope

  • co-design of the initial library

  • rescue of false-negative fragments

  • rational recombination of high-value moieties

  • rational design of efficacy

  • engineering of pathway bias

  • optimisation of receptor subtype selectivity

  • tuning of cell-type and context selectivity

  • DMTA cycles aligned to customer needs

Best suited for

  • programmes under time-pressure where efficacy is difficult to optimise rationally

  • series where hidden state-resolved SAR may unlock better chemistry

  • bias engineering challenges

  • subtype selectivity problems

  • cases where conventional screening risks missing valuable fragments or chemotypes

Deliverables

  • experimental data and analysis

  • mechanistic interpretation

  • presentation and decision package

  • next-cycle recommendations aligned to the partner’s programme objectives

How an engagement works

  1. Joint scientific scoping

  2. Study design aligned to target, series, and decision point

  3. ConfoSeq data generation and analysis

  4. Mechanistic interpretation with the partner team

  5. Decision package and next DMTA cycle