Cambridge, UK, 14 April 2026: ELRIG, a not-for-profit, volunteer-led organisation dedicated to the global drug discovery community, today announced the launch of Drug Discovery USA 2026. The inaugural event, taking place at Pfizer in Cambridge, MA from 16–17 June, will bring together the European and US drug discovery communities to connect and discuss emerging multifunctional small molecules and novel biologic modalities for tackling difficult targets.
ELRIG has appointed Aled Edwards (Structural Genomics Consortium), Marija Tadin-Strapps (Pfizer) and Swarna Balasubramanian (AstraZeneca) as conference directors to shape the scientific programme and secure leading speakers from across academia and industry. Pfizer and Drug Discovery News (DDN ) have also partnered with ELRIG as a media partner, helping to amplify the reach of the event and ensure the latest science and insights are shared widely across the global drug discovery community, while enabling the conference to be delivered on an open-access basis.
Recent advances in chemical biology and protein engineering are expanding the boundaries of which proteins can be modulated pharmacologically. The two-day programme will explore emerging multifunctional small molecule and biologic approaches that are reshaping early-stage drug discovery by enabling modulation of challenging targets through mechanisms beyond simple inhibition, and examining how these advances are opening new avenues for disease intervention and precision medicine.
There will also be a poster award for Early Career Professionals, an exhibition hall with a Breakthrough Zone where start-up companies can showcase their science, and extensive opportunities to network with the global drug discovery community.
Sanj Kumar, CEO of ELRIG, said: “ELRIG Drug Discovery USA expands the reach of our renowned, free-to-attend events, providing US-based scientists with easier access to high-quality science and networking opportunities, while also acting as a bridgehead for international life science companies to engage with the wider community. Our conference directors have put together an outstanding speaker line-up of world-leading scientists and we are delighted to have the support of our event partners, Pfizer and DDN, to help connect the drug discovery communities in Europe and the US.”
Aled Edwards, CEO of Structural Genomics Consortium, commented: “Continued innovation in molecular design, delivery, and mechanistic understanding will be critical to fully realise the promise of these next-generation modalities. We look forward to hearing the latest developments from foremost scientists in the field over the two-day conference.”
Swarna Balasubramanian, Director BD Search and Evaluation, Respiratory and Immunology at AstraZeneca, said: “This scientific conference provides a vital platform for the international drug discovery community to connect with peers across academia and industry and to share the latest ideas on how cutting-edge small-molecule and biologic approaches are redefining what is druggable — and why this progress is vital for advancing transformative, life-changing therapies.”
Andrea Corona, Senior Editor at DDN, said: “DDN is proud to partner with ELRIG as its open-access events expand to the United States. This initiative helps amplify cutting-edge science and strengthen connections between the European and US drug discovery communities, while spotlighting innovative strategies for tackling challenging targets.
