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."

About BioLeap

BioLeap is a leader in computational fragment-based drug design. The company`s
proprietary design technology and process successfully addresses one of the
biggest problems in pre-clinical drug discovery: the limitation of drug like and
patentable leads for important biological targets. BioLeap is using its
completely "in-silico" platform to quickly and accurately predict
fragment-protein binding information that provides drug designers new insights
that enable them to efficiently create new and improved drug molecule
candidates. The BioLeap computational approach addresses the time, cost, and low
probability of success limitations imposed by traditional library screening and
lead optimization methods. BioLeap is utilizing its capabilities to advance its
own internal preclinical stage programs while collaboratively enabling
non-competing programs with numerous pharmaceutical partners.

Source: reuters.com