An enzyme activity-based workflow for the identification and characterization of covalent inhibitors

The field of covalent drug development has advanced rapidly, offering promising therapeutic potential due to the ability of these drugs to form slowly reversible or irreversible bonds with target proteins, resulting in prolonged pharmacodynamic effects. This distinctive mechanism of action has sparked resurging interest in covalent inhibitors across various disease areas, including oncology, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases. However, characterization of covalent inhibitors poses unique challenges, highlighting the need for simplified and robust assay methods. This protocol describes an enzyme activity-based workflow designed to identify and characterize covalent inhibitors efficiently. By streamlining the evaluation process, this approach enhances the reliability and reproducibility of covalent inhibitor assessment, ultimately accelerating the discovery and optimization of novel covalent therapeutics.