Patent ID: 7220552

Claim:
A method of inhibiting a binding event between a target protein (T) and a binding protein (P), comprising: administering to a cell in vitro an effective amount of a non-naturally occurring bifunctional inhibitor molecule (I) of less than 5000 daltons consisting essentially of: (a) a target protein ligand that specifically binds to a target protein (T); and (b) a blocking protein ligand that specifically binds to a blocking protein (B), wherein said target protein ligand and said blocking protein ligand are covalently bonded to each other, optionally through a linking group wherein said target protein ligand is NFAT and said blocking protein ligand is FKBP; in order to non-covalently bind the target protein (T) and the blocking protein (B) to produce a tripartite complex (T—I—B) that prevents access of the binding protein (P) to the target protein (T).