Plexxikon
Encyclopedia
Plexxikon is a drug discovery company based in Berkeley, California that was co-founded in 2001 by Joseph Schlessinger
of Yale University
with Sung-Hou Kim of the University of California, Berkeley
.
It uses a proprietary structural biology-based platform, called Scaffold-Based Drug Discovery to build a pipeline of products in multiple therapeutic areas. This discovery process integrates multiple state-of-the-art technologies, including structural screening as one key component that it hopes will give a significant competitive advantage over other approaches. To date, the company has discovered several clinical and preclinical stage compounds. One of the most advanced drugs under development at Plexxikon is an inhibitor of an activated (mutated) form of the B-Raf kinase
. A V600E mutant of the B-Raf kinase is found in approximately 70% of malignant melanomas, a large percentage of colorectal and thyroid cancers and many other tumor types. PLX4032
selectively inhibits this form of the kinase, and is currently in clinical trials. Plexxikon has entered into a partnership with Roche Pharmaceuticals to develop PLX4032 as a targeted anti-cancer therapeutic, which has shown particular promise for treating melanoma. Plexxikon is also collaborating with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals on several products (centered on PPAR inhibitors) for use in type II diabetes and other metabolic disorders. The most advanced of these agents is PLX204, which is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for type II diabetes.
In April 2011, Plexxikon was acquired by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo Co, Ltd. for $805 Million and an additional $130 M in potential milestone payments.
Joseph Schlessinger
Joseph "Josip" Schlessinger is a Croatian-born Israeli biochemist and biophysician. He is chair of the Pharmacology Department at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, as well as the founding director of the school's new Cancer Biology Institute...
of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
with Sung-Hou Kim of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
It uses a proprietary structural biology-based platform, called Scaffold-Based Drug Discovery to build a pipeline of products in multiple therapeutic areas. This discovery process integrates multiple state-of-the-art technologies, including structural screening as one key component that it hopes will give a significant competitive advantage over other approaches. To date, the company has discovered several clinical and preclinical stage compounds. One of the most advanced drugs under development at Plexxikon is an inhibitor of an activated (mutated) form of the B-Raf kinase
BRAF (gene)
Serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf or simply B-Raf, also known as proto-oncogene B-Raf or v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the BRAF gene...
. A V600E mutant of the B-Raf kinase is found in approximately 70% of malignant melanomas, a large percentage of colorectal and thyroid cancers and many other tumor types. PLX4032
PLX4032
Vemurafenib is a B-Raf enzyme inhibitor developed by Plexxikon and Hoffmann–La Roche for the treatment of late-stage melanoma.Vemurafenib received FDA approval for the treatment of late-stage melanoma on August 17, 2011.- Mechanism of action...
selectively inhibits this form of the kinase, and is currently in clinical trials. Plexxikon has entered into a partnership with Roche Pharmaceuticals to develop PLX4032 as a targeted anti-cancer therapeutic, which has shown particular promise for treating melanoma. Plexxikon is also collaborating with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals on several products (centered on PPAR inhibitors) for use in type II diabetes and other metabolic disorders. The most advanced of these agents is PLX204, which is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for type II diabetes.
In April 2011, Plexxikon was acquired by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo Co, Ltd. for $805 Million and an additional $130 M in potential milestone payments.