Our Preclinical & Discovery Pipeline
The cancer drugs of today are far from perfect;
most suffer from substantial toxicity, while
having limited activity. This is often because
they have a non-selective mechanism of action,
requiring higher dosage forms, which causes
unavoidable toxicity to normal cells. Our
scientists are studying the biomolecular changes
involved in the development and progression of
tumors, in the hope of developing more selective
drugs which specifically block these changes.
The Discovery Process
This process starts with the identification of a
potential drug target that is involved in tumor
development. Lead compounds, which inhibit the
target's mechanism of action, are then
identified by screening chemical libraries.
These compounds are then improved through a
series of chemical alterations known as lead
optimization to arrive at a candidate for
clinical development. During this process, sets
of potential inhibitors are synthesized and
tested in preclinical models to select for those
compounds with improved activity, selectivity,
and pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution
and elimination from the body).
This process ensures that the best possible drug
candidate is delivered into clinical
development, not only with respect to its
efficacy, safety and tolerability, but also with
regards to its ease of administration.
