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Anticancer drug discovery using chemical genomics

Anil Sehgal1

  • 1Molecular Biology and Genomics, ChemGenex Therapeutics Inc., 3475 M Edison Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. asehgal@chemgenex.com

Current Medicinal Chemistry
|April 8, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Drug discovery for cancer therapeutics is a lengthy 15-year process. Chemical genomics integrates biology and chemistry tools early to accelerate development and reduce clinical failure risks.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Cancer remains a leading global cause of death.
  • Current drug discovery and development for cancer therapeutics averages 15 years, delaying patient benefit.
  • The vast amount of genomics and proteomics data presents challenges in identifying viable drug targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce chemical genomics as an emerging field to accelerate cancer drug discovery and development.
  • To highlight the need for integrated tools and technologies to shorten development timelines and mitigate late-stage clinical trial failures.
  • To emphasize the early integration of biological and chemical approaches for informed decision-making.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing tools and technologies from biology and chemistry in a parallel and cyclic manner.
  • Integrating advancements from combinatorial chemistry, informatics, synthesis, cell-based assays, microarrays, genomics, and proteomics.
  • Applying chemical genomics principles early in the drug development process.

Main Results:

  • Chemical genomics aims to significantly reduce the pre-clinical development time for cancer therapeutics.
  • The field seeks to decrease the risk of late-stage clinical drug failure through early, informed decisions.
  • Accelerated identification and validation of potential drug targets.

Conclusions:

  • Chemical genomics offers a promising approach to expedite the delivery of novel cancer therapeutics to patients.
  • Early integration of diverse technological tools is crucial for efficient and successful drug development.
  • Smart decision-making, facilitated by chemical genomics, can overcome current limitations in cancer drug discovery.

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