Proteins Selection, Synthesis, and Purification Strategies for Optimizing Drug Discovery

Deborah L. Janssen, Janssen Consulting 

Proteins: Selection, Synthesis, and Purification Strategies for Optimizing Drug Discovery evaluates current efforts to commercialize this valuable source of potential drug targets. Proteins provide the critical link between genes and disease, and as such are the key to understanding of basic biological processes including disease pathology, diagnosis, and treatment. 

Proteomics will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the drug discovery and development process. The pervasiveness of protein function and their potential for therapeutic intervention are attracting increasing attention from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Proteomics promises to yield drugs with reduced side effects and improve clinical trial success— Novartis’ Gleevec and Genentech’s Herceptin exemplify the emergence of proteins as viable drug target candidates. Researchers have discovered many potential therapeutic targets, and there are currently more than 700 products in various phases of development.  

However, translating the study of proteins into optimized drug targets poses substantial challenges. Hundreds of thousands of potential new protein targets have been identified, but the resources to effectively validate them are lacking. This report covers emerging tools and methods, and the companies supplying them, for protein production and commercialization, and evaluates the key barriers to discovering and developing novel proteins as drug targets, diagnostic and protein chip applications, and vaccines. 

Report #35 

Publishing in January 2004 by Cambridge Healthtech, est. 100 pages.

Expert Contributors 

Thomas J. Bronzert, Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc.; G. Steven Burrill, Burrill & Company; Tauseef R. Butt, LifeSensors Inc.; Grant Cameron/ Lorna Watson/ Kevin Auton, NextGen Sciences Ltd.; The Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics (CESG) Development Team; Lorin Charlton/ Ryan Leskiw, PENCE; Jonas Ekblom, SEQUENOM, Inc.; John Michnowicz/ Rudolf Grimm, Agilent Technologies; James L.; Hartley, NCI /NCI Frederick Protein Expression Laboratory; Dave Hicks, Applied Biosystems; Jingfang Ju, USA Cancer Research Institute; M. Walid Qoronfleh, Perbio Sciences

About the Author 

Deborah Janssen has over ten years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, both as a researcher and, most recently, as the Senior Editor of Genomics & Proteomics and Drug Discovery & Development for Reed Business Information. Before her tenure at RBI, Deb spent eight years first as a research pharmacologist with Abbott Laboratories where she won the Drug Discovery Innovator Award and then as a research geneticist for Pharmacia Corp. Ms. Janssen has published a variety of scientific papers on such topics as the effects of rosiglitazone on glucose transporter regulation, macrolide-based nonpeptide antagonists of GnRH, and the in vivo blockade of dexamethasone-induced thymolysis in adrenalectomized rats. Deb holds a Master’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from Northeastern Illinois University and is a principal partner with Janssen Consulting. 

Publisher: Cambridge Healthtech Institute 

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