Our Expertise
We possess industry-leading expertise in pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics (PG), having previously built and run Novartis' global Pharmacogenetics department.
PG starts from the premise that a given drug will not just affect the target/receptor for which it was initially developed, but will interact with many systems within the body, or will affect different people differently. We know, for instance, that most drugs have side effects. These typically result from a drug's interaction not just with its intended receptor in its intended organ system, but also with either that receptor outside the intended organ system or with other receptors entirely. There are many examples of drugs that were developed initially for one indication but were then shown to be effective for another. One example of this is Viagra® (sildenafil, Pfizer), which was developed initially for hypertension (high blood pressure) but proved more effective for erectile dysfunction. We also know that drugs may be safe and effective in one person, but not work in others. Our expertise enables us to identify these differences and to use them to inform new clinical development pathways.
Applications
We use our PG expertise to understand the diseases or populations for which a drug has an optimal biological (and clinical) effect. We have used this expertise to identify potential points of differentiation for iloperidone and VSF-173. Beyond these two, we have already identified a number of unexpected signaling pathways attributable to known compounds using these techniques, and we have filed patent applications based on these findings. For each compound, we may choose to confirm our findings in animal studies. Compounds clearing this hurdle will be ready for Phase II trials.
Candidate Compounds
Compounds that we would most likely consider attractive candidates for applying our expertise would meet the following criteria:
- were initially developed by a well-established biopharmaceutical company
- have already completed Phase I trials
- are free of significant formulation issues
- have potential for strong patent protection through composition of matter patents, new doses or new formulations