Caliper Life Sciences, a provider of tools and services for drug
discovery and life sciences research, has launched a new services
offering based on a panel of cellular assays that measure the effects of
drug candidates on functional activity of proteins called kinases involved
in critical cell-signaling pathways. The technology platform and initial
panel of nine assays were developed in collaboration with Pfizer. The new offering, called In-Cell KinaseScreen, is immediately available for compound screening, profiling, and custom assay development services for CDAS' clients, ranging from academia to pharmaceutical companies.

The collaboration between Caliper and Pfizer is focused on developing
cellular methods to measure the ability of a compound to inhibit kinase
activity. Nine different kinase assays through this collaboration have
been developed thus far. The assays can be used early in the drug
discovery process to assess compound selectivity, as well as the potential
for off-target effects, or unintended inhibition of kinase-controlled
pathways other than those against which the drugs were directed.  This is
important to developing safer drug candidates and reducing late-stage drug
attrition. One application of these assays is in the area of oncology, for
example, where kinase inhibitors have been used for treating a variety of
cancers. These drugs have led to breakthroughs for treating many cancers;
however, wider use of such drugs has exposed the potential for serious
side effects due to "off-target" activities.  Assays that measure kinase
functional activity in key pathways in a physiologically relevant cellular
context enable oncology researchers, as well as researchers in other
therapeutic areas, to better identify compounds that maximize drug target
selectivity and minimize potential side effects.

"Caliper is pleased to have collaborated with Pfizer to develop cellular
assays designed to enable better compound selectivity, which could lead to
improved drug safety evaluation," said Kevin Hrusovsky, president and CEO
of Caliper Life Sciences. "This new assay suite is designed to assist
scientists in developing treatments for a wide variety of therapeutic
applications with potentially fewer side effects. The In-Cell KinaseScreen
is an important addition to our portfolio of products and services for
predictive toxicology that are available through our CDAS contract
research services division."