Astex

Astex Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of drugs in oncology and other areas. Astex was founded in 1999 by Sir Tom Blundell, Chris Abell & Harren Jhoti, and is located in Cambridge, UK.

Additional recommended knowledge

What is the Sensitivity of my Balance?

Recognize and detect the effects of electrostatic charges on your balance

Weighing the right way

The company's research efforts focus on utilization of a proprietary "drug discovery engine" dubbed Pyramid^TM. Astex has also solved the structure of two key cytochrome P450 isoenzymes involved in drug metabolism, 2C9 & 3A4, which the company hopes will help in optimizing the pharmacokinetic properties and safety of their lead compounds.

Astex's first drug candidate, a cell cycle inhibitor, entered Phase I clinical trials in 2005, and two other candidates are in pre-clinical development.

Further reading

Carr RA, Congreve M, Murray CW, Rees DC (2005) Fragment-based lead discovery: leads by design. Drug Discov Today 10: 987-92.

Congreve M, Murray CW, Blundell TL (2005) Structural biology and drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 10: 895-907.

Williams PA, Cosme J, Vinkovic DM, et al. (2004) Crystal structures of human cytochrome P450 3A4 bound to metyrapone and progesterone Science 305: 683-86 (available online by registration at Science website)

Astex Technology: Pioneering Fragment-based Lead Discovery