Profile

Plexxikon is a leader in the discovery and development of novel, small molecule pharmaceuticals. The company has utilized its proprietary discovery platform to successfully develop a portfolio of competitively differentiated clinical and preclinical stage programs in a number of therapeutic areas. Plexxikon’s most advanced program, Zelboraf^™ (vemurafenib, and formerly known as PLX4032), has recently been approved by FDA. Plexxikon's demonstrated capability in discovery and early development uniquely positions the company to develop multiple commercial franchises for different therapeutic indications, and create significant value for Plexxikon and its collaborators.

Plexxikon's novel discovery approach, combined with an experienced management and scientific team, a broad network of scientific and clinical experts, and partnerships that support later stage development, have been key drivers of the company's success since it began operations in 2001.

With its Scaffold-Based Drug Discovery Platform™, Plexxikon uses compound and target structural data to guide chemistry early in the drug lead generation process in conjunction with a highly specialized scaffold-like screening library, to design new drug candidates within various families of drug targets. This systematic, cost-efficient approach allows Plexxikon to leverage its target-specific chemistry investment for multiple targets within a given family. Additionally, Plexxikon’s platform has proven particularly amenable to the design of highly selective inhibitors. This selectivity has enhanced the safety profile of its targeted drugs.

In April 2011, Plexxikon became a member of the Daiichi Sankyo Group, and continues to build its broad and diverse pipeline.