THE COMPANY

Microbial Novoteqs, Inc. is a biotechnology company whose mission is to develop and implement rapid, economical technologies for the discovery and development of pharmaceuticals to combat diverse disease areas. Microbial Novoteqs utilizes novel drug-discovery platforms that permit therapeutic drug discovery in rapid, cost-efficient, and physiologically relevant systems. Along with minimal-component biochemical assays, our innovative microbial cell-based drug-discovery platform integrates pharmacology, chemistry, and biology, using state-of-the-art drug screening equipment. In addition to our drug discovery program, Microbial Novoteqs also develops technology platforms in yeast molecular genetics and pathway engineering, providing creative solutions for broad industrial needs.

THE TARGETS

Proteases comprise a diverse family of proteins which are implicated in a wide array of diseases. The six major classes of these enzymes regulate physiological processes such as infection, inflammation, cell growth and death, tumor growth, and bone remodeling. In addition, the proteases of human pathogens are often vital to their propagation and some can be utilized as toxins. Therefore, protease inhibitors and modulators are of great interest as novel disease therapies.

THE DRUG DISCOVERY PROGRAM

Microbial Novoteqs has strong leadership and a first-rate research team composed of former professors and postdoctoral fellows from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine that bring together 40 years of combined research experience in the protease field, along with extensive experience in drug discovery, chemistry, structural biology, molecular genetics, cell biology, and bioinformatics. To date, the company has received 1.7 million dollars in grants and additional subcontracts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pursue high-throughput screening for inhibitors of viral agents that pose global health threats and bacterial toxins that pose threats as biological weapons. In addition, projects addressing various chronic disease areas are being aggressively pursued.