Preclinical pharmacy

Drug discovery begins at the bench, with basic scientists who are able to apply their findings into novel therapies. Ready, affordable access to a range of molecules and compounds is essential to supporting such translational research.

DNA sequencing protocol in the lab of Ari Melnick and Olivier Elemento

The Meyer Cancer Center has established a preclinical oncology pharmacy as a way to pool our resources and expertise in the collection, formulation, preparation and storage of hundreds of compounds, including those currently in clinical trials.

In coordination with the Englander Insitute for Precision Medicine (IPM), and their organoid screening platform, the collection is available on a fee-for-service basis to cancer center members and IPM collaborators.

In vitro testing

Compound Library (CL): 

Compounds are plated at one concentration in multi-well plates

  • Targeting agents (432 compounds): A unique collection of validated bioactive compounds covering more than 140 targets from a wide variety of signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt, MAPK, BTK, JAK, apoptosis and others
  • Chemotherapy drugs (101 compounds): Collection of chemotherapy agents - including all FDA-approved small molecules - in clinical use for hematological malignancies and solid tumors 
  • New agents (69 compounds): Collection of synthetic and commercial compounds targeting molecules from a variety of pathways, including apoptosis, DNA damage and metabolism

Pathway library (PL):

Compounds are plated at their optimized concentrations know to maximally inhibit the target while minimizing off-target effects.

  • Epigenetics (188 compounds): Collection of compounds designed to inhibit a wide range of epigenetic targets including DNMTs, HDACs, Sirtuins and BET proteins, among others
  • PI3K (24 compounds): Collection of compounds targeting molecular components of the PI3K pathway, such as AKT, CHEK or Dopamine Receptor
  • MAPK (11 compounds): Collection of molecules that inhibit particular components of the MAPK pathway
  • BCR (7 compounds): Collection of compounds targeting the molecular components of BCR signaling

In vivo testing

Proof-of-principle (POP):

  • These compounds are for administration to mice in relatively small size experiments (less than 100 mice in toxicity and efficacy experiments)

Pre-clinical trial (PCT):

  • These compounds are for administration to mice or bigger animals, using human equivalent-doses, schedules and route of administration, alone or in combinatorial experiments

Services

  • Contact us to build your own library based on pathways of interest.
  • Don’t see your favorite compounds on the list? Don’t hesitate to let us know what you need.
  • In need of a large amount of a particular compound for your in vivo assays? Please let us know and we’ll get you a quote. If your compound of interest is not commercially available, our industry collaborators can synthesize a range of compounds at a competitive price.

Contact

Terra McNary

Belfer Research Building, 14th Floor

tem2006@med.cornell.edu