Join the Open IP‑Gating Pilot: Validating the First Open Alzheimer’s Drug Candidate

Introduction

The Open Source Drug Discovery 2.0 (OSDD‑2) framework invites researchers, clinicians and innovators to participate in the first open IP‑gating pilot targeting phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) for Alzheimer’s disease. This pilot is hosted on smartdrugdiscovery.org, the SPARC open science platform. It seeks to crowdsource early experimental tasks, accelerate validation and demonstrate that a transparent, hybrid IP model can de‑risk assets before a spin‑out forms.

Shared rewards and incentives

We recognise that contributors need both recognition and financial incentives. Each task posted on the bounty board offers cash, micro‑royalties and authorship credit:

Contribution	Reward	Recognition
Experimental or computational validation (e.g., binding affinity, blood–brain barrier permeability, ADME/Tox assays)	US$250–1 000 bounty + 0.01–0.05 % micro‑royalty	Named contributor on ledger
Reproducible datasets or key protocols	US$250–500 bounty + 0.01 % micro‑royalty	Dataset DOI + acknowledgment
Publication contribution (analysis, writing, peer review)	Co‑authorship on the BioRxiv preprint and ensuing peer‑reviewed papers	Author order determined by contribution
IND package preparation (regulatory binder, CMC dossier)	Equity option of 0.5–1 % in the eventual spin‑out + co‑lead authorship	Regulatory credit

Cash awards are drawn from a US$5 000 Phase 1 seed pool donated by SPARC’s Innovation Fund. Additional co‑funding pledges are actively sought; matching contributions will be acknowledged publicly. Micro‑royalties accrue on any revenue generated from the asset and are recorded on an immutable ledger.

Governance and intellectual property

All contributions are logged on a tamper‑evident ledger and governed by a non‑exclusive research licence during the open phase. Once the programme demonstrates in vivo efficacy and acceptable safety, a formal “gate” is triggered. A public‑benefit OSDD‑Studio spin‑out will then obtain a field‑limited exclusive licence to advance the asset through IND‑enabling studies. Contributors share in equity or royalties proportional to their ledgered contributions. The SPARC Foundation oversees rules, dispute resolution and treasury management.

Publication and transparency

Open science is central to OSDD‑2. Data, protocols and negative results will be archived with DOIs. Contributors passing quality validations will be offered co-authorship on a peer-reviewed OSDD perspective paper as part of the Smart Drug Discovery Network and on subsequent. Transparency ensures that others can reproduce and build upon your work.

How to participate

1.        Visit smartdrugdiscovery.org/open-ip-gating and register your interest. You will receive access to the bounty board and dataset.

2.        Choose a bounty aligned with your expertise (e.g., assay development, computational docking, ADME/Tox). Submit a one‑page intent letter describing how you will fulfil the task and adhere to data standards.

3.        Complete the work, share raw data and methods, and claim your reward. All deliverables are subject to verification by the SPARC team or designated reviewers.

4.        Contribute to manuscript writing and join the co‑author list if you wish to participate in publication.

For inquiries or to discuss larger sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jake Y. Chen (jakechen@uab.edu). We encourage foundations, venture philanthropists and corporate partners to co‑fund bounties and help grow the seed pool.

Timeline

·      October 2025: Bounty board launch and call for contributors. First tasks posted (binding assays, BBB permeability, in silico modelling).

·      January 2026: Interim results presented and additional bounties launched (ADME/Tox, organoid efficacy).

·      September 2026: Results reported at BioTechX Europe 2026 and evaluation of gate criteria. Preparation of IND package begins if milestones met.

·      2027: Formation of OSDD‑Studio spin‑out and IND submission pending sufficient data.

Conclusion

This executive summary outlines how the Open IP‑gating pilot provides a structured, transparent pathway for researchers to contribute to and benefit from the development of the first open Alzheimer’s drug candidate. By combining modest cash bounties, micro‑royalties, co‑authorship and future equity, we aim to foster a diverse ecosystem that accelerates discovery and ensures that the fruits of open science translate to improved human health.