Open Targets MCP Server

A read-only MCP server for exploring targets, diseases, drugs and genetic evidence through the Open Targets Platform. Use names or IDs, retrieve supporting evidence, and explore drug-repurposing candidates. No Open Targets API key required.

Install

Requires uv.

Claude Code

claude mcp add opentargets -- uvx opentargets-mcp

Claude Desktop and Cursor: add this to claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json, then restart:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "opentargets": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["opentargets-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code

code --add-mcp '{"name":"opentargets","command":"uvx","args":["opentargets-mcp"]}'

Codex

codex mcp add opentargets -- uvx opentargets-mcp

Any other stdio MCP client works the same way: command uvx, argument opentargets-mcp.

Tips:

• If the client reports spawn uvx ENOENT, use the full path from which uvx.
• Use opentargets-mcp@latest as the argument to pick up new releases.
• On Apple Silicon, a cryptography build error can indicate uv picked an Intel (Rosetta) Python. uv python find is a first clue; cached tool environments and desktop clients may use a different interpreter.

What you can ask

• "Which drugs target EGFR, and how far along are they?"
• "Which genes are most strongly associated with asthma?"
• "Show the evidence linking BRAF to melanoma."
• "Suggest drug repurposing candidates for type 2 diabetes."

Use names or IDs: gene symbols, disease and drug names, rsIDs, or Ensembl, MONDO and ChEMBL IDs. If a name matches several entities, the tool lists the candidates so you can pick one.

Tools

68 tools. Run uvx opentargets-mcp --list-tools for the full list.

Many tools accept fields (dot-paths such as ["target.approvedSymbol"]) to return only what you need. For anything the curated tools don't cover, use graphql_query.

Evidence results include datasource IDs and PubMed references where available. Use get_api_metadata to record the Open Targets API and data release with your analysis. clinicalReportCount counts report records, not unique trials; use graphql_query for full reports.

How it works

flowchart LR
    A(["AI agent<br/>Claude · Codex · VS Code · Cursor"])

    subgraph S["opentargets-mcp"]
        direction TB
        S1["1. Resolve names to IDs"]
        S2["2. Run read-only queries"]
        S3["3. Return structured JSON"]
        S1 --> S2 --> S3
    end

    subgraph O["Open Targets Platform"]
        direction TB
        API["GraphQL API"]
        DB[("ChEMBL · GWAS Catalog<br/>ClinVar · Europe PMC · more")]
        API --- DB
    end

    A <-->|MCP| S
    S <-->|GraphQL| O

    classDef client fill:#e8f0fe,stroke:#4285f4,color:#1f2328
    classDef step fill:#ffffff,stroke:#34a853,color:#1f2328
    classDef data fill:#ffffff,stroke:#f9ab00,color:#1f2328
    class A client
    class S1,S2,S3 step
    class API,DB data
    style S fill:#e6f4ea,stroke:#34a853,color:#1f2328
    style O fill:#fef7e0,stroke:#f9ab00,color:#1f2328

Ask in plain language; the server turns names into Open Targets IDs, runs read-only queries and returns structured results. No API key needed.

Configuration

The defaults work for local use. To change them, set environment variables or pass flags (uvx opentargets-mcp --help):

Proxies are read from HTTPS_PROXY, HTTP_PROXY and NO_PROXY.

Self-host

From source:

git clone https://github.com/nickzren/opentargets-mcp
cd opentargets-mcp
uv run opentargets-mcp

With Docker (HTTP on port 8000), from the clone:

docker compose up -d --build

Connect your MCP client to http://localhost:8000/mcp.

Development

uv sync --extra dev
uv run ruff check src tests
uv run pytest -m "not live"   # offline
uv run pytest -m live         # calls the Open Targets API

Example scripts are in examples/.

License

MIT