Transgenic mouse, humanization, and phage display technologies now make it possible to take these compounds from target to the clinic in less than 12 months, as Medarex has already shown. Other companies with widely used antibody technologies include Abgenix, Cambridge Antibody Technologies, and Protein Design Labs. Monoclonal antibodies may become an important method of validating genomic targets in humans because they can be quickly developed. Small molecules are simply the traditional chemical drugs that the pharmaceutical industry has developed for decades. With this core competency, the pharmaceutical industry is likely to be a primary beneficiary of the Genomic Era.
Proteins are natural targets for interventions in the treatment of disease.
Alternatively, proteins can be artificially manufactured and introduced into the body, often to replace a protein that is not present in sufficient quantity. Frequently, individual proteins operate as parts of larger systems that affect a given function, making for a plurality of potential targets for intervention associated with a given system. Whether the means is via a small molecule drug or introduced protein, the game of therapeutic development is to identify the proteins involved in the disease process in the cell and determine a means to affect their function. Gene therapy is the ultimate endgame of genomics. In gene therapy, defective genes are simply identified and repaired.