Bio Screening Industry News

The obstacles to successful drug discovery and development are numerous and well appreciated. In discovery, from target identification through lead optimization and validation, and in development, from first-in-man studies through large registration trials, inefficiencies and uncertainties complicate even well-funded efforts by sophisticated and industrious scientists and clinicians. Despite huge outlays by the worldwide pharmaceutical research enterprise, the number of new chemical entities brought to market has actually declined in recent years, even as the cost of developing them has increased significantly.

Against this backdrop, biomedical imaging is poised to play an increasingly powerful role in enhancing the efficiency of the drug discovery and development process. Multiple modalities, including optical imaging, ultrasound, nuclear imaging (both positron and single photon tomography), x-ray computed tomography, and the many flavors of magnetic resonance imaging are all being integrated ever more fundamentally in the various phases of drug discovery and development. In CNS, oncology, rheumatology/inflammation, and many other clinical settings, imaging is proving invaluable.

The 3rd Imaging in Pre-clinical & Clinical Drug Development Conference will be held March 17-18, 2008, in San Diego, CA. This conference will survey a wide range of topics in the field, from the latest advances in the modalities themselves to their application to cutting-edge preclinical and clinical problems. Presentations will be made from numerous distinguished contributors to the field’s advancement on both scientific topics and subjects of interest to the regulatory, data management and investment communities.

Topics include:

- Novel Imaging Methods & Technology
+ Novel Imaging Tools for Inflammation and Arthritis Drug Development
+ Dynamic Contrast MRI
+ Optical Imaging

- Imaging in Drug Development and Therapy
+ Molecular Imaging Approaches to In Vivo Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Studies: A Pharmaceutical Prospective
+ PET for In-Vivo Distribution and Pharmacokinetics, Including Novel Dosage Forms
+ Translational Nuclear Molecular Imaging in Drug Development
+ Using MRI to Monitor Cellular Therapy

- Imaging Applications in CNS, Oncology, and the Cardiovascular System
+ Novel Imaging Applications in CNS Drug Development
+ PET Imaging for Efficacy of Anticancer Drugs
+ Non-invasive Imaging of Atherosclerosis: MRI versus CT
+ Atheroma: Developments in Imaging Surrogates of Risk with MRI

Click here for a FULL AGENDA

Register today to reserve your spot! Team Registration: Register 2, the 3rd goes free! For more information call 626-256-6405 or visit www.gtcbio.com.

PRESENTERS
Marc Berridge, President, 3-D Imaging
Janet Eary, Director, Nuclear Medicine Program, University of Washington Medical Center
Joseph Frank, Chief, Laboratory of Diagnostic Radiology Research, NIH
Jonathan Gillard, Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge
Hisataka Kobayashi, Chief Scientist, Molecular Imaging Program, NCI
Richard Margolin, Vice President & Global Head, CNS, i3 Research [Chair]
Raymond Nunnally, Vice President, InvivoMetrics
Michael Paulus, VP, Product Management, Siemens Preclinical Solutions
Roderic Pettigrew, Director, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, NIH
Paul Picot, Chief Scientist, Pre-clinical Imaging, GE Healthcare
Simon Robinson, Bristol Myers-Squibb
Stefan Ruehm, Director, Diagnostic Cardiovascular Imaging, CT, UCLA
Susanta Sarkar, Molecular Imaging Center of Excellence, GlaxoSmithKline
Werner Scheuer, Research Leader, Preclinical Imaging, Roche Diagnostics GmbH
Jan Schnitzer, Sci. Dir., Prof., Cellular & Molecular Bio, Kimmel Cancer Center
David Shalinsky, Associate Director, Translational Medicine, Pfizer
Mark Tengowski, Director, Clinical Affairs, VirtualScopics Inc.
David Vera, Professor, Radiology, UCSD
Jingsong Wang, Director, Bristol Myers-Squibb
Yumin Zhang, Research Investigator, Abbott Laboratories

It seems even tumour cells can get lonely; scientists have discovered that by cutting off a key gene, lung cancer tumour cells are left ‘homeless’ and they can’t survive on their own.
The gene in question is called 14-3-3zeta and it can now be considered a potential target for selective anticancer drugs, according to Professor Haian Fu at the Emory University School of Medicine. These latest research results were published in the 24 December edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Lung cancer kills more Americans annually than any other type of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Yet treatment options are very limited.

“The recent trend towards targeted therapies requires us to understand the altered signalling pathways in the cell that allow cancer to develop,” said Prof. Fu.

“If you think about genes that are deregulated in cancer as drivers or passengers, we want to find the drivers and then, aim for these drivers during drug discovery.”

Prof. Fu and his collaborator, Dr Fadlo Khuri, deputy director of clinical and translational research at Emory Winship Cancer Institute, chose to focus on the gene 14-3-3zeta because it is activated in many lung tumours. In addition, recent research elsewhere shows that lung cancer patients are less likely to survive if the gene is on overdrive in their tumours, Dr. Fu explained.

There are seven 14-3-3 genes, each designated with a Greek letter. Their protein products act as adaptors that can clamp onto other proteins, depending on whether the target protein has been phosphorylated or not. One of the pathways 14-3-3 helps control is epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling, which drives the growth of lung cancer.

The team of scientists, including lead author Dr Zenggang Li, used RNA interference (RNAi) to selectively silence the 14-3-3zeta gene. They found that when 14-3-3zeta is turned off, lung cancer cells become less able to form new tumour colonies in a laboratory test.

One of the most important properties of cancer cells is their ability to grow and survive without touching other cells or the polymers that connect them. The researchers found that if they turned 14-3-3zeta off, the tumour cells once again become vulnerable to anoikis (Greek for homelessness), a form of cell death that occurs when cells that are accustomed to growing in layers find themselves alone.

“You can see how control of anoikis means 14-3-3zeta could play a critical role in cancer invasion and metastasis,” Dr. Fu says. “The mechanistic question we still haven’t answered is: what makes zeta unique so that it can’t be replaced by the others.”

Further experiments also showed that 14-3-3zeta regulates the Bcl2 protein family, which is a popular target for cancer drug developers thanks to its role in cell death. If 14-3-3zeta is absent, it upsets the balance within the Bcl2 family.

The finding has implications beyond lung cancer, in that 14-3-3zeta is also activated in other forms of cancer such as breast and oral, he notes.

“Targeting this critical molecule could lead to meaningful therapeutic progress,” said Dr Khuri.

Dr Fu and his co-workers are using a robot-driven screening programme at the Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center to sort through thousands of chemicals that may disrupt its interactions specifically. They hope to identify these compounds rapidly and move them from bench into clinic testing to benefit patients.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(Business Wire)--HTS laboratories continue to evolve their processes and strategies
to increase their success rates and improve efficiencies in their drug
discovery efforts. New strategies include the use of phenotypic and
pathway-based assays in primary or secondary screening, the use of new
targets and the expansion in the diversity of compounds screened for
new drug candidate leads. The Directors at HTS laboratories also plan
to employ new technologies, including the use of label-free
technologies and new detection systems to aid in finding new drug
candidate leads.

HTS laboratories continue to show year to year success at
producing new drug candidates. Fifty-five directors from HTS
laboratories participating in this recently published study, High
Throughput Screening 2007: New Strategies, Success Rates and Use of
Enabling Technologies, identified 163 drug candidates that originated
from their HTS laboratories, a significant increase from HighTech
Business Decisions' earlier study. With new HTS laboratories funded
through NIH or other private foundations beginning to ramp-up their
operations, this new report includes analysis and data from interviews
with HTS laboratory directors at these centers to better understand
their plans and their impact on drug discovery efforts.

William Downey, President of HighTech Business Decisions,
explains, "HTS laboratories are taking on new challenges as they
expand their role in drug discovery. In the past two years, the
industry has seen consolidation in HTS laboratories as many
pharmaceutical companies have either merged or acquired other
operations. This consolidation along with the challenges to improve
drug discovery efforts is leading to changes in the way particular HTS
laboratories operate. In addition to the changes in commercial HTS
laboratories, over the past two years publicly funded and
non-commercial HTS laboratories have been started, and in the next few
years these laboratories will ramp-up their operations." HighTech
Business Decisions extensively interviewed 55 Directors at HTS
laboratories in Asia, Europe and North America.

Theravance, Inc. (NASDAQ: THRX) today announced that GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) initiated subject screening in a Phase 1 clinical study designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of an investigational, inhaled bronchodilator, GSK1160724, for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The compound was discovered by Theravance and is being developed by GSK under the parties’ strategic alliance agreement.

GSK1160724 is an inhaled, long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) discovered by Theravance through the application of multivalent drug design in a drug discovery program dedicated to finding new medicines for respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma. The LAMA program is one of three respiratory programs under joint development by GSK and Theravance.

Inhaled muscarinic antagonists are frequently used as bronchodilators for COPD and work by inhibiting muscarinic receptors in the airways, which leads to improved lung function. Theravance’s intent was to discover LAMA compounds that are highly lung-selective and have a prolonged effect. Higher lung selectivity should result in improved tolerability.

“The goal of our program is to develop an effective once-a-day inhaled medicine that is better tolerated than the market leaders,” said Michael Kitt, MD, Senior Vice President of Development at Theravance. “In addition, at higher doses, a more lung-selective LAMA might offer improved efficacy with comparable or improved tolerability.”

About Theravance

Theravance is a biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of internally discovered product candidates. Theravance is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule medicines across a number of therapeutic areas including respiratory disease, bacterial infections and gastrointestinal motility dysfunction. Of the six programs in development, four are in late stage — its telavancin program focusing on treating serious Gram-positive bacterial infections with Astellas Pharma Inc., the Gastrointestinal Motility Dysfunction program, the Beyond Advair collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline plc, and TD-1792 for the treatment of serious Gram-positive bacterial infections. By leveraging its proprietary insight of multivalency toward drug discovery focused on validated targets, Theravance is pursuing a next generation strategy designed to discover superior medicines in areas of significant unmet medical need. For more information, please visit the company’s web site at www.theravance.com.

THERAVANCE®, the Theravance logo, and MEDICINES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE® are registered trademarks of Theravance, Inc.

This press release contains certain “forward-looking” statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, statements relating to goals, plans, objectives and future events. Theravance intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of such statements include statements relating to the goals, timing and expected results of clinical and preclinical studies, statements regarding the potential benefits and mechanisms of action of drug candidates, statements concerning the goals and timing of seeking regulatory approval of our product candidates, the enabling capabilities of Theravance’s approach to drug discovery and its proprietary insights, statements concerning expectations for product candidates through development and commercialization and projections of revenue and other financial items. These statements are based on the current estimates and assumptions of the management of Theravance as of the date of this press release and are subject to risks, uncertainties, changes in circumstances, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results of Theravance to be materially different from those reflected in its forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, among others, the potential that results of clinical or preclinical studies indicate product candidates are unsafe, ineffective, inferior or not superior, and delays or failure to achieve regulatory approvals and risks of collaborating with third parties to develop and commercialize products. These and other risks are described in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 1A of Theravance’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 7, 2007 and the risks discussed in our other filings with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Theravance assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements.

We invite you to join your business development and infectious disease colleagues to discuss new collaborative advancements in infectious disease R&D including anti-virals, anti-fungals, emerging pathogens and new technologies at GTCbio’s 5th annual Anti-Infectives Partnering & Deal-Making Summit (http://www.gtcbio.com/conferenceDetails.aspx?id=117) taking place on March 6-7, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA.

This very specialized summit takes a microscopic look at trends and developments in infectious diseases, from cutting-edge anti-infective research to early and late stage partnerships.  Whether you are a business development professional or a infectious disease specialist, this conference will help you grasp a full scope of the market for new treatments and therapies for all types of infectious diseases.

Hear from keynote presenter Dr. John Shiver, Vice President, Worldwide Basic Research Franchise Head, Vaccines, Merck & Co. on “A Vaccine Renaissance: New Vaccines for the World.” Also take part of our special panel discussion on: “Investment Opportunities in the Anti-Infectives Space” featuring key leaders in venture capitalism.

Topics include:

- Current Models of R&D Collaboration
+ Human Genome Sciences Collaboration with Novartis for Development and Commercialization of Albuferon(TM)
+ Biota-Boehringer Ingelheim: Making the Right Deal: It’s Not Just About the Money
+ Replenishing the GSK Infectious Disease R&D Pipeline Using Innovative Deals Structures with Strategic Collaborators

- New Pathogen Challenges
+ Multi-Resistant Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter - Challenges and Perspectives
+ Genetic Determinants of Tetracycline Resistance and their Occurrence in Escherichia Coli Isolates from the Pivotal Tigecycline Phase 3 Clinical Trials
+ Your ‘Plan B’ When All Else Fails? Another Alternative for Your Anti-Infective Compounds

- Future of Infectious Disease Therapeutics
+ Clinical Trial Design & Regulatory Approval
+ Positioning Antibacterials within the Hospital and Community Markets amid Regulatory Changes and Continuing Uncertainty
+ Combination Therapy / Dual Mechanism Agents

- New Technologies in Anti-Infectives
+ Hepatitis B Vaccine: Hepislav
+ Oritavancin, a Potent Lipo-Glycopeptide with Unusual Pharmacokinetic Properties that may Allow Single or Infrequent Dosing Schedules

Register today to reserve your spot! Team Registration: Register 2, the 3rd goes free! For more information call 626-256-6405 or visit www.gtcbio.com.

PRESENTERS

David Apelian, Chief Medical Officer, GlobeImmune
James Chafouleas, Director, Global Licensing, Virology, Boehringer Ingelheim
Mark Coflin, Global Executive Director, Infectious Disease Alliance Management, Novartis
Danielle Drayton, Senior Analyst, Decision Resources
Michael Dudley, Vice President of Drug Development, Mpex Pharmaceuticals
Jacques Dumas, Associate Director, Infection Chemistry, AstraZeneca R&D
Roger M. Echols, Chief Medical Officer, Replidyne, Inc.
Leigh Farrell, Vice President, Business Development, Biota
Margery B. Fischbein, Human Genome Science
Lisa Gray, Phoenix IP Ventures
Jennifer Hartt, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA
Hal Jones, Infectious Disease Research, Wyeth Research
Damien McDevitt, Director, Business Development, Infectious Diseases, GlaxoSmithKline
Eric Meltzer, Curtis Financial Group
Dennis Molnar, Vice President, Corporate Development, Paratek Pharmaceuticals
Douglas Pon, Assist. Vice President, Vaccine Licensing Global Business Development, Wyeth
Malcolm Page, Head, Discovery Biology, Basilea Pharmaceuticals
Gary Patou, MPM Capital
Glenn Tillotson, Ph.D., Executive Director of Scientific Affairs, Replidyne, Inc.
Michael S. Ostrach, Chief Business Officer, Dynavax Technologies Corporation
Gerald Siuta, Head of Business Development, Global Alliance for TB Drug Development
Paul Stewart, Manager, Global Business Development, Eli Lilly and Co.
Daniel Sikkema, Merck & Co.

Upstream Biosciences Inc. (OTCBB: UPBS) today announced it is establishing a Chemoinformatics Program to extend its drug discovery efforts into additional disease areas. Upstream’s Chemoinformatics Program combines artificial intelligence, advanced computational methods and chemical diversity techniques that will be applied to the company’s proprietary drug scaffolds and compound library. This effort will initially build on Upstream’s recently acquired novel compounds that in laboratory studies demonstrate both human and veterinary potential against major tropical parasitic diseases, including trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis. Separately, Upstream also announced that it has filed a provisional United States patent on methods for incorporating data on genetic variations it will generate in its biomarker discovery efforts as well as those in the public domain into the Chemoinformatics program.

Upstream obtained exclusive worldwide rights to its existing library of novel compounds and potential drug scaffolds through the company’s acquisition of Pacific Pharma Technologies. Upstream intends to combine its state-of-the-art computational approaches with advanced chemistries to produce novel compounds with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity for conditions such as infectious diseases and cancer. The proprietary scaffolds acquired by Upstream will also be used to develop additional compound libraries.

Upstream also intends to use relevant genetic variations it will identify in its biomarker discovery program as well as genetic variations in the public domain as inputs into the Chemoinformatics Program. These genetic variations may include differences that impact drug metabolism, treatment efficacy or susceptibility to drug toxicity or to the development of drug resistance. In some cases researchers may “design around” a variation to minimize its impact, or conversely, data on the variation could be used by researchers to help achieve specific drug attributes.

“Our Chemoinformatics Program will focus on optimizing our proprietary compound library and enhancing our ability to use it to discover additional novel drugs,” said Joel L. Bellenson, Chief Executive Officer of Upstream. “The innovative drug discovery approach we are developing complements the core competencies we are applying in our biomarker discovery programs and potentially positions us to expand into additional therapeutic areas. The provisional patent filing we announced today brings together these two programs, covering methods for applying data on genetic variations that we will generate in the biomarker program to our computational drug discovery activities.”

Mr. Bellenson and Upstream President Dexster Smith bring considerable expertise to these computational programs, having pioneered some of the first computer-based systems for managing combinatorial chemistry and pathogen screening data as co-founders of Pangea Systems/Doubletwist, which made history in 1999 by providing computational tools for annotating the first draft of the human genome.

The provisional United States patent filing is titled, “Method for combining 3D quantitative chemical structure activity relationships (QSAR) of compounds with genetic variation of drug targets and metabolic enzymes to optimize efficacy, provide predictive toxicology, and address drug resistant microorganisms.”

About Upstream Biosciences Inc.

Founded in 2004, Upstream Biosciences is an emerging leader in the discovery and development of novel drugs for tropical parasitic diseases and in the development of genetic diagnostics for cancer susceptibility and drug response. Upstream’s innovative approach to drug discovery and its proprietary data mining pipeline enable it to apply advanced computational approaches to generating novel drug candidates and to locating and analyzing the genetic variations important to disease progression and drug response. For more information visit www.upstreambio.com.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains “forward-looking statements”, as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, the expectation and/or claim, as applicable, that: (i) the Company intends to combine its state-of-the-art computational approaches with advanced chemistries to produce novel compounds with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity for conditions such as infectious diseases and cancer; (ii) the intent to use relevant genetic variations it will identify in its biomarker discovery program as well as genetic variations in the public domain as inputs into the Chemoinformatics Program; (iii) genetic variations may include differences that impact drug metabolism, treatment efficacy or susceptibility to drug toxicity or to the development of drug resistance; and (iv) the Company’s drug discovery approach complements the core competencies it is applying in its biomarker discovery programs and potentially positions the Company to expand into additional therapeutic areas. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others:

(i) the risk that the Company does not execute its business plan; (ii) the inability of the Company to keep pace with technological advancements in the field of genetic diagnostics and the treatment of tropical parasitic diseases; (iii) the Company’s inability to adequately protect its intellectual property or the Company’s inadvertent infringement of third party intellectual property; (iv) the Company not being able to retain key employees; (v) competitors providing better or cheaper products and technologies; (vi) markets for the Company’s products not developing as expected; (vii) the Company’s inability to finance its operations or growth; (viii) inability to obtain all necessary government and regulatory approvals; (ix) the inability to effectively market and commercialize the Company’s technologies, including the establishment of viable relationships with third parties; and (x) the conference not proceeding as planned for any reason. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed in the Company’s periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov.

Anachem’s unique permanent custom bar coding service utilises vials each with their own individual bar code that guarantee the identity of their contents and position within a stored location

Protect and identify precious samples more effectively within a compound management process using Anachem’s permanent custom bar coding service. Each bar code is made from a ceramic material that is permanently bonded to a glass vial or any glass laboratory product e.g test tubes or bottle in either one dimensional (1D) or two dimensional (2D) forms.

This completely eradicates the need for conventional sticky labels that can come off during storage or use, rendering the valuable contents unidentifiable.

Vials that have a 2D bar code can be read from underneath using a flat-bed scanner while the vial is positioned on an automated system.

For immediate recognition, companies have the option to apply corporate logos or company names to the side of the vials giving a customised, professional appearance.

Anachem’s bar coded vials are compatible with all solvents including DMSO, DCM and methanol, providing an ideal solution for tracing samples in applications including compound management, chemical screening, sample collection for biological fluid testing, compound library manufacture and QC analysis.

The new Anachem CD vials internally dip to a central point, eliminating the waste of precious chemical compounds and offering complete sample recovery.

Conveniently their flat bases allow them to stand upright.

The only event combining Windhover’s case studies, handpicked presenting companies and 1:1 partnering under one roof

Windhover Information’s Bio/Pharma Partnerships, is an exclusive partnering conference that links global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to explore potential collaborations. The conference combines exceptional Windhover editorial content, handpicked company presentations by the most promising innovators and private one-on-one meetings between senior-level dealmakers. Attendees will be able to pick potential partners using Windhover’s partnering system and pre-arrange meetings.

Conference highlights include:

• Hear from 32+ of the industry’s top speakers, including Windhover’s pick of the most promising innovators
• Set up one-on-one meetings using partnering software
• Participate in 6 plenary sessions developed by the IN VIVO and STARTUP editorial team
• Network at over 7 interactive opportunities

Can’t attend but still want to participate?
For the first time ever in the history of one-to-one partnering, you don’t have to physically attend the 1:1 meetings to participate. You can still pre-arrange meetings using our partnering software and meet with attendees in their booth OR somewhere else using our virtual meeting technology. Just indicate when you register whether you will be attend the meeting or will be a virtual participant.

Partnering
Set up one-on-one meeting with innovators and investors who can help you commercialize new products

Windhover Plenary Sessions
Carefully crafted strategic level sessions led by Windhover’s IN VIVO and STARTUP editorial team

Company Presentations-Windhover’s Most Licensable Projects
32 hand picked most licensable companies give company presentations

• Senior Manager
• Senior Director
• Director
• Executive Director
• VP
• Senior VP
• Executive VP
• CEO & Chairman
• President
• Chief Business Officer
• Chief Operating Officer

From the following functional areas:

• BioPharma Licensing
• Business Development
• Business Development & Licensing
• Commercial Development
• Corporate Licensing
• Ext. Relations
• Fin. & Gov. Affairs
• Global Licensing
• Licensing
• Licensing & Acquisitions
• Licensing & Alliances
• Licensing & Business Development
• Product Development
• Sales and Marketing
• Scientific Liaison
• Senior Director Business Development
• Strategic Alliances
• Strategic Planning and Business Development
• Tech. Licensing
• Transactions

http://www.biopharmapartnerships.com

• Hear the critical trends and changes that affect your regulatory strategy successful strategies for dealing with FDA and CMS
• Walk away with practical, real life lessons from some of the most experienced pharmaceutical and biotechnology executives on how they handle regulatory obstacles
• Get face-to-face access to the top regulatory thought leaders and policy makers
• Benchmark your regulatory strategy against all the major pharmaceutical and biotech companies

• User feesdotcom/conferences/inde
• Health care fraud prosecutions, especially in the new prescription drug benefit
• Drug development and NDA approval strategies
• Drug safety, risk management and post-market surveillance
• Biogenerics/follow-on biologics
• Personalized medicine
• Pharma marketing and promotions regulation and enforcement
• Marketing and promotion regulation and enforcement
• Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement
• Medicare Part D
• Critical Path Initiative
• Pricing Strategies

(PRLog.Org) – Oct 17, 2007 – MONROVIA, CA – Dr. Stephen K. Burley, Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice-President Research at SGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. located in San Diego, CA will give the Keynote presentation at GTCbio’s Drug Design & Lead Discovery conference – one of six tracks at the 3rd Modern Drug Discovery & Development Summit on November 28-30, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport.

Dr. Burley’s presentation will cover fragment-based discovery of selective, orally bioavailable tyrosine kinase inhibitors for targeted treatment of human cancers with examples from SGX’s FAST™ (Fragments of Active Structures) platform.

The fragment-based drug discovery platform utilizes high-throughput X-ray crystallography for lead identification/optimization. The process exploits crystallographic screening to detect, visualize and identify small ligands (MW 150-200) that are bound to the target protein. Each member of the FAST™ fragment/scaffold library was selected to be amenable to rapid chemical elaboration at two or three points of chemical diversity using parallel organic synthesis. Initial lead optimization involves using SGX’s knowledge of the co-crystal structure of the target-fragment complex and advanced computational chemistry tools to guide synthesis of small focused linear (one-dimensional) libraries. These linearly elaborated fragments/scaffolds are then evaluated with in vitro biochemical and cellular assays and co-crystal structure determinations. Thereafter, optimal variations at each point of chemical diversity are combined to synthesize focused combinatorial (two- or three-dimensional) libraries that are again examined with assays and crystallography. (The potential chemical diversity of the fully elaborated FAST™ fragment/scaffold library far exceeds 160 million compounds.) Active compound series are prioritized for further medicinal chemistry and compound development efforts using the results of in vitro and in vivo ADME and in vitro toxicology studies. Successful applications of the FAST™ fragment-based lead discovery/optimization process will be presented for a portfolio of well validated oncology targets.

The 3rd Modern Drug Discovery & Development Summit features over 150 speakers participating in 6 concurrent conferences, 6 study sessions and 3 pre-conference workshops. Tracks include Biological Therapeutics, Drug Delivery Technology, Translational Medicine, Drug Design and Lead Optimization, Emerging Targets, and Pharmaco – Kinetics, Dynamics, Genomics and Genetics. For more information, visit www.gtcbio.com.