TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2002--Researchers from MDS Proteomics Inc. today announced that they have developed and proven a novel method to determine if drugs and drug targets are effective in combating disease. By identifying the key regulatory protein ``switches'' inside human cells, MDS Proteomics and its partners can now accurately distinguish between healthy and diseased cells to uncover the key protein targets against which new drugs will be made. This technology represents a new way to accelerate the drug development process. Details of today's announcement are reported in the March 1 edition of the scientific journal, Nature Biotechnology.
``Pharmaceutical companies incur a tremendous amount of time and money trying to determine which drug targets to advance and which to abandon early in the discovery process,'' said Frank Gleeson, president and chief executive officer of MDS Proteomics. ``This research facilitates more informed decision-making; further eliminating the drug discovery bottleneck, by providing a `litmus test' for drug discovery and development.''
The researchers identified the regulatory switches known as phosphorylation sites, which activate or deactivate proteins within a cell. MDS Proteomics' proprietary drug discovery platform allows the company to examine these switches and identify the key proteins that are being turned on and off as a consequence of disease or medical treatments. MDS Proteomics and its partners will use this technology platform to precisely map the effectiveness and side effects of new drug candidates earlier in the discovery process. The versatility of the technology platform spans the scope of a candidate drug's lifecycle from early discovery to late stage development.
Similar to MDS Proteomics' recent study published in the Jan. 10, 2002 issue of Nature, in which the company successfully characterized 531 proteins of previously unknown function, this research was conducted using a yeast model system and is directly applicable to human cells. The first study proves MDS Proteomics' ability to target proteins, while the most recent research helps determine which target to move forward in clinical development. This announcement is again testament to MDS Proteomics pre-eminent, automated platform for rapidly determining protein function and cell regulation -- capabilities that are unparalleled in the industry today.
``The study released today exemplifies the promise of proteomics, offering the pharmaceutical industry the tools to develop drugs and treatments that focus directly on the causes of disease and the effects of treatments,'' said Dr. Forest White, research scientist at MDS Proteomics and lead author of the study.
About MDS Proteomics
A pioneer in the field of proteomic-enabled drug discovery, MDS Proteomics' goal is to transform the productivity of the pharmaceutical industry in discovering and developing new medicines for the treatment of disease. The company has developed exceptional capabilities in proteomics systems, technology, supercomputing, drug design, screening and biology and is uniquely positioned to build an effective bridge between gene discovery and therapeutic development. This distinctive capability is being used in collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as well as for the development of the company's own product pipeline. In its proteomics facilities in Europe and North America, the company focuses on drug target discovery and validation for both antibody and small molecule therapeutics. MDS Proteomics is a majority-owned subsidiary of MDS Inc. For more information on MDS Proteomics, visit the company's Web site at www.mdsp.com. |
