Cellworks Research India, the system biology domain expert which collaborated with the Chennai-based Orchid Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals in its drug discovery efforts for inflammation related disorders has successfully completed the New Chemical Entity (NCE) research initiative.

Under the year-old collaborative NCE project, Orchid utilized Systems Biology based in silico platform from Cellworks to improve its overall drug discovery methodology, deliver better efficacious drugs and control the side-effects.

The disease focus for this particular NCE project was in the area of inflammation related disorders. The project commenced with the identification of key drugs and biological targets. The biological nodes were analyzed using the Cellworks technology to study the different mechanism of action for each of the drugs. It helped to not only comprehend the drug mechanism and associated toxicities but also assess the previously failed and withdrawn drugs.

Through this collaborative research, comprehensive pros and cons of the various drug targets and mechanism have been understood, Taher Abbasi, CEO &COO, Cellworks Research India told Pharmabiz.

Cellworks technology is based on Systems Biology approach which entails development of disease aligned in silico platforms of human cellular physiology. The approach enables dynamic visualization of the interconnectivity that exists between different biological nodes, which is not possible to understand from classical studies.

Current studies in inflammation generally use either a T-cell or a macrophage cell line in isolation. But using Cellworks in silico technology provided a more 'holistic picture' because of the dynamic interaction of nodes between T-cell and macrophage compartments, explained Abbasi.

Orchid has been closely working with the Cellworks for one of its key internal Drug Discovery projects and was able to quickly ascertain the biological receptor target to focus on, according to Dr. C. Bhaktavatsala Rao, deputy managing director, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

The ongoing collaborative research effort with Orchid Chemicals has helped Cellworks to take a lead in drug discovery related Research and Development. "We are now working towards building up such collaborative research for the future," stated Dr. Anandkumar, chairman, board of Cellworks Research India Ltd.

Cellworks is working with several partner-collaborators. The valuable results obtained under Orchid's drug discovery programme has helped the company to take a leadership position in a crucial area of disease progression, added Abbasi. .

The company's System Biology Platform is a 'virtual experimental system' equivalent and such bio-simulation based predictive approaches are highly recommended by US FDA. It is targeted for specific diseases like oncology (Gliomas and Breast Cancer), inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, Inflammatory Bowel Disorder), skin (UV Triggered Hyper and Hypo pigmentation) and Type 2 diabetes. The solutions are targeted towards New Biological Entities (NBE), New Molecular Entities (NMEs) and New Chemical Entities (NCE). Among the notable collaborative research associations include the Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) besides a few academic labs in University of California, Davis and Cedar Sinai.