Emerging Drug Discovery Targets

"Emerging Drug Discovery Targets" provides a twice monthly summary of some of the most exciting breaking information recently featured by the pharmaceutical analysts, LeadDiscovery. Information includes editorials on recently published journal articles, selected press releases and "intelligence reports". Our target audience includes business development personnel, senior management and researchers within the drug development sector as well as bioscience investors and analysts.  To receive Emerging Drug Discovery Targets  on a regular twice monthly basis please register here. Please feel free to pass this bulletin onto colleagues that may benefit from registration.
**************************************
In this weeks edition:

• Editorial comment on selected journal articles
• Development of Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) inhibitors by GlaxoSmithKline and by Johnson & Johnson
• siRNA blocking CXCR4 expression limits metastasis
• Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) as a target for diabetes
• A week in Drug Development: Advances from industry
• Merck, Lilly present results of osteoporosis trials
• FDA Panel Backs New Alzheimer's Drug
• Human Genome Sciences Initiates Phase 2 Clinical Trial of LymphoStat-B(TM) for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Metabasis completes Phase 2A study of a drug to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus
• Novartis's Glivec may help in Alzheimer's
• Today's breaking scientific publications for the drug development community
• This week's licensing opportunities
• New DiscoveryDossiers/Chemistry Libraries:
• Ghrelin: Pharmaceutical & Therapeutic Opportunities for the Treatment of Obesity
• Kinases: From Targets to Therapeutics Click here for executive summary
• The Global Structure of Prostate Cancer R&D
• Novel Tumor Vaccine Approaches
• The Global Structure of Breast Cancer R&D

Development of Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) inhibitors by GlaxoSmithKline and by Johnson & Johnson: LeadDiscovery have recently produced a full analysis of the therapeutic and pharmaceutical potential of the emerging target, GSK-3 (click here for access). In response to the large body of research supporting the development of inhibitors of this enzyme for the treatment of multiples diseases including diabetes, Alzheimers's, stoke and bipolar disorder, companies have now started developing GSK-3 inhibitors. In this edition of Emerging Drug Discovery Targets we highlight two molecules, one developed by GlaxoSmithKline, the other by Johnson & Johnson. Of interest the latter also strongly inhibits the beta isoform of protein kinase C, an isoform which is induced in response to hyperglycemia in cardiac, aortic, renal, and retinal tissues, and which is therefore associated with diabetic complications...[more on these findings]
**********************
siRNA blocking CXCR4 expression limits metastasis:  RNA interference (RNAi), a cellular mechanism in which double-stranded RNA triggers the silencing of the corresponding cellular gene, has become a powerful tool for studying gene function, and more recently the basis of novel therapeutics. Here we report on studies showing that the induction of a vector which expresses siRNA directed against CXCR4 reduces the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. This study advances siRNA technology demonstrating how it is possible to express siRNA with high specificity, confirms the importance of CXCR4 in the metastatic process, and possible provides the basis of a new therapeutic approach to breast cancer...[more on these findings]
**********************
Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) as a target for diabetes: Obesity and comorbid type 2 diabetes represent a frequent and growing global problem (see for example our recently featured report, Diabetes 2003; click here for access). Both conditions are characterized by insulin resistance and inhibiting PTP1B represents one option for reversing this phenomenon. Very recent data suggests that inhibiting stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) reduces the expression of PTB1 and therefore inhibitors of this enzyme may be of therapeutic use supporting the development of SCD inhibitors...[more on these findings]
**********************
A week in Drug Development - Our Tour of Industry Press Releases
Key press releases selected from recent editions of our tracking service, DailyUpdates.

• Merck, Lilly present results of osteoporosis trials(24 Sept)
• FDA Panel Backs New Alzheimer's Drug (25 Sept)
• Human Genome Sciences Initiates Phase 2 Clinical Trial of LymphoStat-B(TM) for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (26 Sept)
• Metabasis completes Phase 2A study of a drug to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (29 Sept)
• Novartis's Glivec may help in Alzheimer's (30 Sept)
  **********************

New DiscoveryDossiers:

• Ghrelin: Pharmaceutical & Therapeutic Opportunities for the Treatment of Obesity [More]
• Kinases: From Targets to Therapeutics Click here for executive summary[More]
• The Global Structure of Prostate Cancer R&D[More]
• Novel Tumor Vaccine Approaches [More]
• The Global Structure of Breast Cancer R&D [More]