Our Preclinical & Discovery Pipeline
The cancer drugs of today are far from perfect; most suffer from
substantial toxicity, while having limited activity. This is often
because they have a non-selective mechanism of action, which causes
unavoidable toxicity to normal cells. Our scientists are studying
the biochemical changes involved in the development and progression
of tumors, in the hope of developing more selective drugs which
specifically block these changes.
The Discovery Process
This process starts with the identification of a potential drug target
that is involved in tumor development. Lead compounds, which inhibit
the target's mechanism of action, are then identified by screening
chemical libraries. These compounds are then improved through a series
of chemical alterations known as lead optimization to arrive at a
candidate for clinical development. During this process, sets of
potential
inhibitors are synthesized and tested in preclinical models to select
for those compounds with improved activity, selectivity, and pharmacokinetics
(absorption, distribution and elimination from the body).
This process ensures that the best possible drug candidate is delivered
into clinical development, not only with respect to its efficacy,
safety and tolerability, but also with regards to its ease of administration.
Posted Jan. 24, 2006
Copyright © 2004-2007 Cell Therapeutics, Inc., Seattle,
WA, USA. All rights reserved. "Making cancer more treatable" is
a registered mark of CTI.
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