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Rheumatoid
arthritis: Emerging drug discovery targets and therapeutic
candidates
The autoimmune diseases are receiving increasing attention in
the pharmaceutical industry as progress is made in the understanding of immune
and inflammatory processes. It is predicted that the annual value of the market
for drugs used to treat autoimmune disease will exceed $20 billion in the next
few years. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the more common and difficult to
treat autoimmune diseases and there is a great deal of interest in the
discovery of novel drugs to treat this condition.This report considers almost
50 molecular targets and more than 150 products being developed for rheumatoid
arthritis by nearly 100 companies therefore representing not only a complete
analysis of current areas of research activity but also a thorough examination
of therapeutic candidates emerging from this activity.
Asthma
Therapeutics: New treatment options and emerging drug discovery
targets
From 1980 to 1996, the number of Americans afflicted with asthma
more than doubled to almost 15 million, with children under five years old
experiencing the highest rate of increase. Considerable effort is being
directed towards the identification of new molecular targets for the improved
treatment of asthma. This report describes the proof of concept data and offers
expert opinion on each of these targets. The report also profiles therapeutics
on the market or in development.
Retinoids : An A-Z
guide to their biology, therapeutic opportunities & pharmaceutical
development
The retinoids play a key role in differentiation,
proliferation and apoptosis and as a result over 30 naturally occurring and
synthetic analogs of retinoic acid are now either in development or on the
market. This dossier represents one of the most comprehensive insights into the
retinoid field published in recent years. The aim of this report is to bring
the reader up to date with advances in this area, pharmaceutical activity
relating to retinoid development and strategies that will lead to the
identification of improved retinoids.
Therapeutic
& pharmaceutical opportunities for osteoporosis and
atherosclerosis
An estimated 10 million Americans over the age of 50
years old suffer from osteoporosis and a further 32.9 million have low bone
mass, placing them at an increased risk for developing this condition. This
report reviews the physiology of bone turnover as well as the etiology,
epidemiology and treatment options relating to osteoporosis. The dossier
continues with a full analysis of vitamin K and how its role in both bone
health and cardiovascular function may result in vitamin K mimics contributing
to a future breakthrough in osteoporosis therapeutics. Concluding with an in
depth account of the osteoporosis market, development activity within this
sector and full profiles of companies involved in this development, the report
allows a full understanding of the osteoporosis field.
5-HT7
antagonists: Novel molecules for the unmet migraine prophylaxis
market
The migraine market was revolutionized by the launch of the
prototypic triptan, sumatriptan in the early 1990's. The triptans are acute
therapies of migraine aborting an attack once it has started rather than
preventing it. According to current guidelines 15% of sufferers would benefit
from prophylactic treatment however the availability of molecules that
effectively prevent migraine attacks with an acceptable tolerability profile is
extremely limited. 5-HT7 receptor antagonists offer an effective approach to
the unmet field of migraine prophylaxis. Additional evidence exists to support
the use of antagonists to treat a second unmet market, schizophrenia, while
agonists may have therapeutic value in the treatment of cardiovascular
disorders and depression. This report provides a state of the art of the 5-HT7
receptor. With a focus of migraine prophylaxis this report describes the proof
of concept supporting its therapeutic potential in relation to these
indications and analyzes current pharmaceutical activity surrounding the
development of 5-HT7 ligands.
Targeting
endogenous inhibitors of apoptosis: Opportunities for the treatment of cancer,
stroke and MS
It is now well established that cellular suicide
(apoptosis or programmed cell death) is central to a number of physiological
cellular processes and is essential in the maintenance of homeostasis and
survival of multicellular organisms. This dossier opens with a general
introduction to the apoptosis pathway and the function of members of the IAP
family, an emerging target for apoptosis-related pharmaceuticals. The report
then continues with a description of the role of the IAPs in cancer, stroke and
angiogenesis.
Glycogen
synthase kinase 3 inhibitors:Proof of concept and therapeutic opportunities for
the treatment of diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, stroke & bipolar
disorder
Since the mid-1990s there has been a near exponential rise in
the level of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) related research. The present
report, produced by LeadDiscovery analysts under the editorial guidance of
field-leader, Dr Hagit Eldar-Finkelman, offers a state of the art overview of
GSK-3 and analyses the therapeutic role that inhibitors of this enzyme may
play.
Angiotensin as a
target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, anxiety and
depression
Mental disorders affect 44.3 million Americans in a given
year. According to analysts the current global CNS therapeutics market is
estimated at $40-55 billion, accounting for around 15% of the total global
pharmaceuticals market. This report overviews the proof of concept for
targeting central angiotensin receptors for the treatment of anxiety,
depression and Alzheimer's disease and therefore bridges the hypertension and
CNS markets.
Male and
female sexual dysfunction: Blockbuster indication for multiple pharmacological
targets
In March, 1998, Pfizer launched sildenafil (Viagra) for the
treatment of erectile dysfunction. This move had an explosive effect on
Pfizer's financial figures. This report analyzes both the science and the
pharmaceutical activity surrounding male and female sexual dysfunction,
focusing on novel pharmacological targets for these conditions.
Histone
deacetylase inhibitors: Redefining pharmaceutical approaches to the treatment
of cancer
The exponential growth in the level of research activity
surrounding the histone deacetylases (HDACs) witnessed over the past decade has
been driven by the ability of HDAC inhibitors to modulate transcriptional
activity. HDAC inhibitors have the potential to occupy an indomitable position
in the fast-moving cytostatic market. LeadDiscovery, Dr Chris Berrie and Dr
Victoria Richon (Executive Director of Biology, Aton Pharma and HDAC
field-leader) have collaborated to produce one of the most comprehensive
reviews of HDAC research, pharmaceutical opportunities, and current and future
drug development strategies.
Ghrelin:
The future of obesity therapeutics?
lt is estimated that somewhere
between 34 and 61 million people in the US are obese and in much of the
developing world this incidence is increasing by about 1% per year. Ghrelin
represents one of the most promising targets to emerge in the field of
metabolic disorders. This report offers a fully up to date evaluation of
ghrelin as a target for metabolic disorders and describes its additional roles
in cardiovascular disease; it identifies pharmaceutical activity relating to
the development of ghrelin modulators; it analyses the most recent patent
activity in this field; and it places all of this activity in the context of
the rapidly expanding area of anti-obesity therapeutics. |
