InhibOx and the National Foundation for Cancer Research Launch Computational Drug Screening Tool

The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) and InhibOx have announced that they have joined forces to launch a powerful new computational drug screening tool, DrugFinder. This new tool enables scientists to leverage the power of computer-aided virtual drug screening technology for novel cancer drug discovery and development and will accelerate the speed of drug discovery.

Using a web-based interface, researchers from around the world will now be able to submit a target (such as a cancer related protein) structure together with a known inhibitor compound through the Internet to the DrugFinder service.

InhibOx will use its in-house computing facilities and expertise to screen chemical compound database against the target. The docking and ligand-based approaches will be used in combination during the screening process and the "hit" compounds identified will be returned to the user. It is estimated that this could speed up the drug discovery process by as much as 4 years. Part of the service is offered to the public free of charge, providing additional resources to the public efforts in new drug discovery.

"Our DrugFinder service offers the scientists around world a unique and powerful virtual screening tool for the development of novel drugs at very early stage along the development pipe line, which will significantly reduces the time and costs for new drug discovery and development," said Dr. Michael Wang, Chief Science Officer of NFCR. "Patients will benefit from the success of this new initiative," Dr. Wang continued.