Drug Discovery and Development

We have developed a pioneering enabling product range that aims to assist companies in accelerating their drug discovery and development programmes whilst reducing development risk. Our product SistemRNA^TM gets drugs to market faster by leveraging the instructive power of miRNA based fingerprinting to provide early identification of lead candidate compounds through enhanced understanding of the therapeutic compound and its effect on the cell system. From the core SistemRNA^TM platform, Sistemic has derived a suite of drug discovery and development products in the areas of: elucidation of mechanism of action studies; predictive and mechanistic toxicology (SistemTOX^TM); lead identification and positioning/repurposing of compounds (SistemKB^TM).

Companies involved in drug discovery and development are continually striving to increase their success rate whilst reducing costs & risk and seek products that can aid in delivering these objectives to stakeholders and patients alike.

There is a need for better information rich products that can allow these companies to rapidly screen their portfolio of candidate drugs whilst adding significant asset value to their programmes. As we all know many drugs fail to reach the market because of associated problems with toxicity. Often the detection of these toxic pathways occur late in the drug development process leading to loss of valuable time and resources. At Sistemic, we have developed a novel product range to help companies tackle these issues. Our range of products: SistemRNA^TM, SistemTOX^TM and SistemKB^TM are helping companies worldwide to minimise their costs and enhance their chances of success. We are helping companies in the following key areas:

• Mechanism of Action: Our SistemRNA^TM product can analyse compound-specific miRNA alterations in context, providing ontological analysis and key insights into the likely mechanism of action of the compound. Using this analysis with our proprietary knowledgebase, SistemKB^TM, we can then determine the drug class and the Mechanism of Action of the compound.
• Predictive and Investigative Toxicology: Many drugs never reach the market because of associated problems with toxicity. Sistemic’s SistemTOX^TM offers a highly-predictive, simple and cost-effective way to detect the toxicological profile of your compound. The miRNA profile of the compound is analysed, looking for signatures known to be associated with a toxic response. When analysed in context, the miRNA alterations elicited by your toxic compound point to the likely signalling pathways that underlie the toxicity. This allows for an early discovery of potential safety issues early in the drug development process. Sistemic’s toxicology knowledgebase can make this a fast, cost-effective and efficient process part of your drug development programmes.
• Lead Selection: At Sistemic, our products can provide you with the information you need to make better decisions on lead selection. The miRNA profile of a cell in response to your compound provides valuable biological information which can inform on mechanism of action and/or toxicity. Using SistemRNA™, we can quickly and efficiently detect the miRNA profiles of multiple compounds. This information when used with our proprietary knowledgebase, SistemKB™, can provide companies with the answers needed to make decisions on which of the candidate compounds are likely to provide the best option for further development.

SistemRNA^TM

SistemRNA^TM applies a compound-centric approach identifying drug effects by associative changes in miRNA expression profiles and its analysis in context. The addition of SistemRNA^TM to companies’ drug discovery toolbox can help them support strategic decision-making at key stages and maximise asset value. The miRNA expression profiles are used to characterise drugs on the basis of:

• Positioning/repositioning of small molecule or biologic compound libraries
• Identify biological activity and Mechanism of Action
• Toxicology profile
• On/Off-target effects

SistemTOX^TM

SistemTOX^TM builds on SistemRNA^TM data to help companies detect compounds which activate pathways potentially leading to toxicity earlier in the lead selection process. This service is applicable to cell lines such as HepG2, as well as stem cells derived from hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes. SistemTOX^TM not only gives a simple, rapid yes/no answer, but provides the context needed to gain a much deeper insight. This depth of knowledge allows drug developers to reduce risks within their pipeline and enhance their chances of success.

SistemKB^TM

SistemKB^TM accurately positions small molecule or biologic compounds within key therapeutic areas such as Oncology, Inflammation, Metabolic disorders, HDACi, Statins, Cardiovascular and CNS, and is continually expanding. As a result, SistemKB^TM significantly enriches data that allow companies to make better strategic decisions and maximise asset value.

Key benefits of SistemRNA^TM, SistemKB^TM and SistemTOX^TM:

• Early “Go/No-Go” decision
• Content and context from a single in vitro assay
• Provides enhanced lead selection to reduce follow on in vivo testing
• Significantly reduces resources within the lead selection and optimisation process
• Avoids compound scale up issues
• Provides companion biomarkers to guide pre-clinical/clinical studies
• Seamlessly integrates into current workflow

If you are involved in Drug Discovery and Development, there are a number of ways we can help you. Please contact us and we would be happy to talk to you.

For more details on how we work with companies please click here.