Prague–Weizmann Summer School Bridges Basic Research and Drug Development for the Eleventh Time
The 11th Prague–Weizmann School on Drug Discovery and Development took place at IOCB Prague from October 4 to 6, 2026. The three-day program offered students and early-career researchers an overview of current approaches to drug discovery and development – from basic research and target discovery to clinical development and bringing new drugs to market.
The school is the result of a long-standing collaboration between IOCB Prague and Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, with both institutions sharing a strong commitment to cutting-edge basic research and its practical applications. The event was also co-organized by IOCB Tech and the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague.
“For young scientists, the opportunity to contribute to the development of a drug that may one day help patients is often a stronger motivation than publishing in top scientific journals or winning prestigious awards. Connecting basic research with practical applications has a long tradition at IOCB Prague and is deeply rooted in our scientific culture. This is also an area in which Israeli science in general, and the Weizmann Institute in particular, ranks among the best in the world. I am glad that we can encourage the next generation of scientists to embrace this approach to research, which I personally find immensely meaningful,” says Jan Konvalinka, Director of IOCB Prague.
Over the course of the three-day program, experts from leading international pharmaceutical and biotech companies as well as academia shared their experience and expertise. The lectures covered topics including target discovery, structure- and in silico-based drug design, medicinal chemistry, characterization of lead compounds, preclinical and clinical development, intellectual property rights, and patent law.
"We’re proud to help keep this Czech-Israeli tradition going. What makes the school so valuable is that young scientists spend three days with people who have years of experience in research, drug development and industry. They can ask questions, test their ideas and see what it actually takes to move good science forward. That kind of exchange is exactly what IOCB Tech wants to support,” says Julie Proft, Deputy Director of IOCB Tech.
