Sam,
Great post on LLY and AGPH with respect to Viracept. From what I can gather, AGPH initiated their HIV program in 1987. They developed two novel classes of compounds that were highly potent in inhibiting the HIV protease enzyme. One of these classes was wholly owned by AGPH, one was developed under their collaboration with LLY. Apparently AG1343 (Viracept) came out of the class of compounds that was under their collaboration with LLY.
In any event, AGPH's expertise in structure-based design, both in analyzing the molecular structure of the HIV protease target, and in optimizing the compounds which bound to that target, was of course essential to the design and development of 1343. The initial compound in the class that lead to Viracept appears to have come from a LLY compound library, but AG1343 is undoubtedly 1000s of times more potent (probably many 1000s of times), as a result of the structure-based design work of AGPH scientists. And, as you mentioned, since it was a collaborative effort, LLY scientists participated in the design work as well.
So, to say Viracept was a compound found in a LLY compound library and hence not a tribute to AGPH's drug discovery/design expertise is inaccurate.
Peter |
