Our Research and Development Drive
We are strongly committed to innovative therapeutic research and development in Canada, and to realizing our vision of providing therapeutic Value Through Innovation.
Research & development has been the foundation of Boehringer Ingelheim's success and continues to be the major driver of innovative, new medicines for the treatment of diseases with an unmet therapeutic need. Furthermore, in our constant quest for pharmaceutical innovation we have successful ongoing collaborations and are actively seeking new collaborations with external partners, ranging from academic institutions to biopharmaceutical enterprises and start-up companies.
Areas of Expertise
The discovery of new drugs involves the evaluation and design of thousands of compounds to select a candidate with the desired levels of specificity, efficacy and safety. An understanding of the biochemical events associated with disease is necessary, along with the ability to identify and assess the novel chemical entities that influence these biochemical events.
Structural Research
Structural research, the analysis of the 3-D structures of proteins and other biological macromolecules and their interactions with drug candidates, is a cornerstone of drug discovery at Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd./Ltée., R&D. Our fields of expertise include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), protein X-ray crystallography, molecular modeling and chemoinformatics. The combined application of these techniques makes it possible to better understand and optimize the interactions between an inhibitor and its therapeutic target.
Structural research is a major component in our discovery of new drugs. Our well-equipped facilities support such state-of-the-art technologies as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-throughput protein X-ray crystallography and computational chemistry. Designing improved drug candidates requires not just excellent tools but also intense collaboration in interdisciplinary drug discovery teams.
Structural Research Areas of Expertise
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Nuclear magnetic resonance is used to study the conformation of molecules and proteins in solution, making it possible to analyze, in their native conformation, contacts between inhibitors and therapeutic targets with a view towards optimization of their interactions. The NMR probes on the many instruments in our laboratory excite, among others, the nuclei of hydrogen-1, carbon-13 and nitrogen-15, enabling us to study the properties of protein isotopes and conduct observational competition studies with fluorine-19.
Protein X-Ray Crystallography
This technique is used to determine the three-dimensional molecular structure of proteins, alone or with an inhibitor. It reveals the molecular structure of drug-binding sites and enables scientists to suggest chemical modifications that may improve drug binding to the target. Our well-appointed laboratory houses a powerful Xray generator and a host of tools to facilitate high-throughput and automation of the process (preparation of and optimization of suitable crystal forms and crystal imaging). Boehringer Ingelheim crystallographers also benefit from privileged access to synchrotron sources.
Molecular Modeling and Dynamics
Computational chemists perform a variety of calculations on molecules and proteins to predict their conformation and structure and how they may interact with each other. In addition to a wide range of sophisticated software, computational chemists also have available to them a cluster of computers comprising nearly 700 processors. This broad-based network allows for expanded and accelerated calculation capabilities—a terrific advantage in the virtual screening of millions of compounds!
Chemoinformatics
This discipline is to chemistry what bioinformatics is to biology. Chemoinformatics analyzes and processes information from databases on chemical structures obtained by high-capacity and virtual screening. It makes comparisons between molecules and illustrates trends that visually are not easily discernible, opening the door to other research paths. Chemoinformatics, in conjunction with computational chemistry, is an invaluable, value-added tool in virtual screening.