Using this and other proprietary technologies, Vertex and Eli Lilly anticipate selection of a drug candidate for clinical testing in 2001. Hepatitis C Helicase Vertex is conducting discovery research to design orally deliverable drugs to inhibit the HCV NS3 helicase enzyme. In January 1998, Vertex researchers published the three-dimensional atomic structure of the HCV NS3 helicase enzyme. Vertex scientists are using structural information to identify and optimize inhibitors of the enzyme. Bacterial Gyrase Vertex's bacterial gyrase research program seeks to discover novel potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics that target bacteria resistant to existing drugs.
Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem for patients around the world.
In the hospital setting, many patients develop severe infections of the urinary and respiratory tract, brought on as bacteria throughout the body develop resistance to antibiotics. There is a significant need for new antibiotics that can overcome the limitations of current therapies. According to recent studies, as many as 30 to 50 percent of common bacterial pathogens develop resistance to current treatments. Vertex is currently optimizing drug leads and plans to designate a lead drug candidate in 2001. The drug candidates inhibit bacterial DNA gyrase, an essential enzyme used by many common bacteria during the replication process.