Sep 9 2009
BioLeap and GSK have entered into an agreement whereby BioLeap will design novel lead compounds for "difficult" drug targets. The targets (not disclosed) are ones for which conventional approaches, like high throughput screening, have failed to yield a viable chemical starting point. Typically these are in areas of high unmet medical need.
BioLeap will use its computational fragment-based drug design platform to conceive compounds de novo that are molecularly tailored to bind to the target. GSK will synthesize and test the compounds in biochemical and cellular assays. The process will iterate until GSK selects a Lead Candidate. The terms of the agreement for services were not disclosed.
David Pompliano, PhD, CEO of BioLeap said, “We are very pleased to be working with GSK to accelerate the discovery of truly novel medicines. BioLeap’s platform reliably predicts the effect of compound modifications on target affinity, thus minimizing unproductive guesswork during drug discovery, and producing a better drug candidate more quickly.”