BARCELONA, February 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Prous Institute for Biomedical Research today presented its strategies for drug discovery on its newly designed website (http://www.prousresearch.com). A large computational project with basic research support and broad disease coverage is being developed at Prous Institute under the broad-based Epistemic Drug Discovery(R) project.

President and C.E.O. of the Institute, Dr. J.R. Prous, explained that We are committed to accelerating biomedical knowledge by the synchronization of powerful expert knowledge-based systems and basic research. This next-generation drug RD force is expected to increase the efficiency and efficacy of core drug RD processes, facilitating continuous innovation.

Two main drug discovery programs are being developed at the Institute. One is focused on the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of new small-molecule modulators of autophagy as therapeutic agents for cancer and neurodegeneration (Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease). Another program looks at target-driven drug discovery from natural sources, covering type 2 diabetes, psychological stress and asthma. The Institute's computational tools enable the in silico screening of thousands of natural products in a rapid, reliable and cost-effective manner, as well as the discovery of new targets and new uses for existing drugs.

J.R. Prous commented our approach is bringing us closer to drug discovery, and the Institute expects to have several compounds in preclinical evaluation by the end of this year (2009).

About Prous Institute for Biomedical Research

Prous Institute is a privately-held research-driven organization committed to the discovery and development of innovative therapies through the use of its powerful computational tools and the support of basic research. Prous Institute also fosters the development of prediction technologies used for regulatory and industry safety screening programs. Prous Institute receives several government grants and actively collaborates with academia and industry.

For more information, please contact Prous Institute: Xavier Mensa E-mail: info@prousresearch.com, Tel: +34-93-457-17-95, or visit http://www.prousresearch.com

For more information, please contact Prous Institute: Xavier Mensa, E-mail: info@prousresearch.com, Tel: +34-93-457-17-95