Scripps- PARC Institute Unveils Technology to Accelerate the Discovery of Breakthrough Drugs

Palo Alto, Calif. and La Jolla, Calif., July 26, 2004 - The Scripps-PARC Institute for Advanced Biomedical Sciences, a joint venture of the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), today announced a technology capable of significantly improving drug discovery. The newly developed nanocalorimeter will enable researchers to measure the level and nature of chemical activity of pharmaceutical prototypes with unparalleled accuracy and speed. This improved clarity will have substantial impact on the cost of drug development by drastically reducing the level of effort required in new drug design. These advancements will allow pharmaceutical companies to reduce the time to market of drug treatments while reducing research and development investments that can inhibit wide-scale consumer access.

"The enthalpy array technology developed by the scientists of the Scripps-PARC Institute has the potential to materially alter the course of drug discovery by addressing the principal hindrance to this empirical process: a comprehensive understanding of the drug candidate reactivity," said Scripps Research President Richard A. Lerner, M.D. "This technology allows for the high-volume production of disposable arrays that will drive wide-scale adoption in many applications."

Molecular thermodynamics is a key of drug discovery, as it is the best way to understand the way drug candidates bind with drug targets and can provide key indications of a compound's effectiveness. However, devising low-cost methods to quickly and accurately characterize these reactions has proven difficult. Traditional calorimetric methods have throughput levels that limit their use to only highly special cases in drug and proteomic research. Researchers have developed alternate assays that offer the rapid analysis of molecular interactions but these rely upon labeling or immobilization, methods which are time consuming to develop, can compromise test results and provide only a limited picture of the chemical activity. Some of these available measurement technologies also require large quantities of costly compound samples.

The Scripps-PARC Institute's enthalpy array technology is a low-cost solution that offers requisite levels of precision and throughput. The calorimetric approach precludes the use of binding agents that can degrade the quality of test results and delay discovery. Current calorimetric tools use up to 1000 times the quantity of sample compounds required by the enthalpy array. Using 250 nanoliter droplets of a test compound on 96-detector arrays, the nanocalorimeter enables researchers to characterize larger numbers of unique samples in a shorter amount of time than traditional methods while reducing material costs. By enabling more complete characterization of prototype compound interactions with drug targets, the technology will improve researchers' ability to hone the most effective treatments.

"The enthalpy array is a prime example of the value created when two legendary innovators join to tackle the obstructions to scientific breakthroughs," said Richard Bruce, director of the Scripps-PARC Institute for Advanced Biomedical Sciences and manager of PARC's Computer Science Laboratory. "Scientists of the Scripps-PARC Institute have made use of expertise in a wide array of the physical and life sciences as well as engineering disciplines in order to solve the key problems retarding biomedical advancement."

About Scripps-PARC Institute for Advanced Biomedical Sciences
The Scripps-PARC Institute for Advanced Biomedical Sciences is a partnership between the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). The Institute's purpose is to invent and deliver novel instrumentation and information systems to accelerate understanding and discovery in the life sciences. The Institute combines PARC's competencies in mathematical, physical, and information sciences as well as its expertise across the engineering disciplines with TSRI's expertise in the life sciences. The Institute has joint faculty and staff appointments, and close coupling of applied research and technology development efforts. See:
www.scripps-parc.com.

About PARC
The Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), a subsidiary of Xerox Corporation, conducts pioneering interdisciplinary research in physical, computational, and social sciences. Building on its three-decade tradition of innovation, PARC works with Xerox and other strategic partners to commercialize technologies created by its renowned scientists. As the birthplace of technologies such as laser printing, Ethernet, the graphical user interface, and ubiquitous computing, PARC has an established record of accomplishment for transforming industries and creating commercial value.
www.parc.com

About The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, and Palm Beach County, Florida, is one of the world's largest, private, non-profit biomedical research organizations. It stands at the forefront of basic biomedical science that seeks to comprehend the most fundamental processes of life. Scripps Research is internationally recognized for its research into immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neurosciences, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases and synthetic vaccine development.
www.scripps.edu