Discussion

In recent years there has been considerable interest in the application of phenotypic screening both to identify novel targets for drug discovery and to identify lead molecules with activity in biologically relevant phenotypic screening assays. Within AstraZeneca we have established a series of platform technologies to support phenotypic screening, including the creation of a pharmacologically annotated compound set, the establishment of primary and stem cell derived screening assays, and a target deconvolution platform. In this presentation I will describe the application of these platforms in a number of programs to identify novel targets that have progressed into the discovery portfolio.