Project description
Greener tools for drug discovery
Carboxylic acids are common chemical building blocks in approved medicinal products. However, their properties often limit drug performance and clinical translation. Although chemists routinely modify these groups to improve drug behaviour, existing methods rely on hazardous reagents and environmentally harmful processes. Greener, safer alternatives are urgently needed to support sustainable drug discovery. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the eCARB-X project develops a metal-free electrochemical platform that transforms carboxylic acids into drug-relevant chemical structures using electrical current rather than toxic reagents. The approach will be translated into continuous-flow systems for industrial scalability.
Objective
Carboxylic acids are among the most common functional groups in approved drugs, yet their polarity and metabolic instability often compromise pharmacokinetics and limit clinical translation. Medicinal chemists routinely replace them with bioisosteres or extend their carbon chain, but existing methods rely on hazardous reagents, toxic intermediates, or unsustainable transition-metal catalysis. The eCARB-X project pioneers a unified, metal-free electrochemical platform that expands Kolbe-type reactivity into three transformative domains: (i) direct conversion of carboxylic acids into drug-relevant bioisosteres (trifluoromethyl ketones, sulfonamides, tetrazoles), (ii) safe one-carbon homologation as an alternative to diazomethane, and (iii) decarboxylative alkenylation via chalcogen linchpins. Mechanistic mapping (fast-scan CV, kinetics, DFT) will generate predictive rules that accelerate optimisation and scope, while translation to continuous-flow systems will ensure scalability, reproducibility, and industrial relevance. By introducing redox-based retrosynthetic logic, eCARB-X will deliver scalable and sustainable synthetic tools, directly supporting the European Green Deal and enabling greener drug discovery pipelines.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug discovery
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry organic acids
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry ketones
- social sciences economics and business economics sustainable economy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
SE10 9LS London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.