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Domainex announces the release of its latest generation
LeadBuilder virtual screening platform
Cambridge, UK, 29 October 2009. Domainex Ltd has released the next
generation of its LeadBuilder virtual screening technology. LeadBuilder is the
proprietary lead generation platform developed by Domainex to provide unusually
rapid and cost-effective access to high-quality small-molecule drug leads,
particularly against novel or difficult target proteins. As such, it is
well-suited to the needs of both university groups engaged in Translational
Research and to emerging biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
LeadBuilder employs proprietary search methods to interrogate a vast database of
commercially-available compounds with target-specific queries. These queries are
defined by using protein or ligand derived information - or ideally by combining
knowledge from both of these sources. The latest enhancements to LeadBuilder
include an expanded database of over six million commercial compounds, and the
incorporation of a number of software upgrades. Compounds which Domainex selects
using LeadBuilder are purchased and tested in biochemical assays to give hit
rates which are typically between 1-10%: i.e. three orders of magnitude better
than random, high-throughput screening (HTS). Critically, in contrast to HTS,
LeadBuilder compounds make “ideal” screening hits, as they are rich in
pharmacophoric features and possess favourable molecular properties combined
with predictions of excellent ADME and toxicity profiles.
Dr Trevor Perrior, Research Director of Domainex, commented: “It is generally
agreed that one of the most influential factors in determining whether or not a
drug research project will be successful is the quality of the starting point,
which is usually a screening hit. By using LeadBuilder, we can make high-quality
hits available to everyone without them needing to make an investment in the
time and expense of high-throughput screening. The latest generation LeadBuilder
has been successfully validated on several targets - both for clients such as
Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and for Domainex’s internal pipeline - and we look
forward to working with this powerful technology on our customers’ drug
discovery projects”.
- ENDS -
Editors Notes:
About Domainex
- Domainex uses unique and proprietary technologies to resolve common
bottlenecks facing the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in the
post-genomic era. Major discovery 'gaps' exist between the vast amount of
genomic information that is now available, the accessibility of the
corresponding proteins for use in target validation and drug discovery, and
the identification of robust hits in a cost effective manner. Founded in 2002,
Domainex is a privately owned company with laboratories in Cambridge, England,
and offices in the London Bioscience Innovation Centre.
Domainex has developed a number of platform technologies specifically aimed at
enabling biotech or university groups who have exciting new drug targets. Its
Combinatorial Domain Hunting (CDH) technology will deliver protein constructs
that are soluble, stable, and produced in high-yield - thereby opening up the
path to high throughput screening, structural biology, or antibody production.
Domainex has also developed LeadBuilder - a virtual screening approach for
targets which is specifically aimed at identifying hit molecules that are
ideally suited for further development. The experienced medicinal chemistry
team has a proven track record in supporting biotech or university groups by
providing expertise to take hit compounds through lead optimisation and on to
candidate selection. Several compounds arising from these collaborations are
currently in clinical evaluation.
- Domainex works with clients on a fee-for-service basis. In 2008, the
company secured investment to establish its own internal drug discovery
pipeline based upon a number of targets in oncology. These targets are being
progressed using Domainex’s platform technologies.
For more information see:
www.domainex.co.uk .
For further information, please contact:
Dr Eddy Littler
CEO
Domainex 01223 433186.
Tristan Jervis 0207 861 3838
De Facto Communications E-mail : t.jervis@defacto.com
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