Our Science
Strategy
Intellimedix develops innovative approaches to accelerate the discovery and development of new treatments for known human diseases. We work closely with business, academia, non-profits, and patient groups to identify needs, find solutions, and deliver them to the patient as quickly as possible.
Our discovery process begins with developing an understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disease. After we understand the molecular basis of the disease, we can leverage our proprietary algorithms through the steps listed below to rapidly perform genome sequencing and annotation and screen for FDA-approved drugs that interact with the mutated protein(s).
Step 1: Sequencing
Using Next Generation Sequencing, we identify mutations present in the exomes of the client.
Step 2: Annotation
Using a 3D model of the proteins produced by the mutation, articles relating disease to mutations, and population frequency we determine which mutations are likely to be disease causing with supercomputing and algorithms developed at Georgia Tech.
Step 3: Virtual Drug Screening
At this point, Intellimedix will screen any catalog of small molecules, experimental or FDA approved, against the target mutations identified in Step 3. The results will produce a list of small molecules likely to bind to the protein target.
Drug Repurposing & Discovery
Developing a new drug is estimated to cost over $1 billion and takes an average of 15 years to win regulatory approval. For every 10,000 potential drugs that are researched by pharmaceutical companies, only one will make it to the market. In the United States, drug patents provide 20 years of protection, but since the regulatory process takes about 15 years, the pharmaceutical company will only have an average of 5 years of exclusive sales to recover costs before a generic drug enters the market. This long timeline and high cost makes developing a new drug risky.
Repurposing drugs removes a large amount of this risk because the compound has already passed toxicology and safety studies necessary to win FDA approval. The time and money spent on development and safety studies is eliminated when a drug is repurposed. With this shorter timeline of development, the drug will have a longer period of exclusive sales under patent protection (a patent can be filed for the new use of the existing drug) before a generic drug can be marketed.