Scripps Research Institute Partners with Pfizer to Develop DNA-Encoded Library Technology

LA JOLLA, CA – The La Jolla-based Scripps Research Institute Tuesday announced a research collaboration and license agreement with Pfizer Inc. to develop new DNA-encoded library technology, known as DEL.

Under terms of the deal, TSRI chemists and Pfizer scientists will work together to develop DEL screening techniques that use DNA-based markers, called “barcodes,” to survey billions of small molecules, potentially increasing the ability of researchers to identify promising chemical leads. Conventional drug screening methods evaluate a few million small molecules.

Pfizer will pay TSRI a technology access fee to gain access to the chemical synthesis technology developed at TSRI.

“TSRI's chemistry department is known for its rich history of innovation, and that has never been more true than today,” said TSRI President Peter Schultz. “We are delighted to partner with Pfizer in an area where pioneering chemical methodologies can have a significant impact on the

discovery of new medicines for unmet medical needs.”

TSRI and Pfizer might expand the scope of the joint research to include other technologies relevant for enabling DEL-based drug discovery.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Pfizer is known for marketing drugs like Advil painkillers, Viagra for male sexual dysfunction, and Lipitor, which lowers blood cholesterol.

By City News Service / Image by NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory via flickr.com, under Creative Commons