BPS Bioscience, Inc. Announces HCV Profiling Service and New Tools for HCV Research

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 18, 2013

BPS Bioscience, Inc. (“BPS”) announces the addition of a panel of 6 protease enzymes for identifying small molecule inhibitors of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). These unique enzymes are also available for custom screening and profiling services. The availability of these enzymes and services could further enable and expedite drug discovery, development and therapy for HCV, the leading cause of chronic liver diseases, including cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.

HCV infects approximately 150 million people worldwide (2%-3% of the world's population), resulting in more than 350,000 deaths annually due to HCV-related conditions. HCV infection is the most common chronic bloodborne infection in the USA, where an estimated 3.2 million persons are infected. HCV infection is responsible for over 25% of hepatocarcinomas, and HCV-associated cirrhosis is the leading indication for liver transplantation in adults.

HCV is an RNA virus with a rapid replication rate and extremely error-prone replication, resulting in a natural variability that promotes the rapid emergence of drug-resistant variants. Recently, a number of promising inhibitors of the HCV serine–protease 3 (NS3/4A) have been approved (Telaprevir, Boceprevir), and others are under development; however, selection of drug-resistant HCV variants has already emerged in protease inhibitor-treated individuals. The degree of resistance appears to be related to mutations at a number of key positions in the NS3/4A protease. In particular, single-site mutations at protease residues R155 and D168 confer resistance to nearly all inhibitors in clinical development.

“BPS is excited to offer these novel HCV proteins and profiling panel to life science researchers,” said Dr. Henry Zhu, President and CEO at BPS. "We believe that these HCV products and services will help researchers understand the underlying mechanisms of drug resistance and promote the development of new HCV inhibitors that are less susceptible to drug resistance.”

BPS is the first company to offer these mutant HCV proteases and to provide HCV inhibitor screening and profiling services. BPS currently offers 6 forms of the NS3A/4a protease, including the R155 and D168 mutations. Additional enzymes with other genotypes and mutations will be released in the coming weeks, to further expand BPS’s HCV enzyme panel.

To learn more about BPS Bioscience’s HCV products and services, please visit http://www.bpsbioscience.com/product-search?search=hcv&am.

About BPS Bioscience

BPS Bioscience, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of Acetyltransferases, Bromodomains, HDACs, Histone Demethylases, Methyltransferases, Kinases, Phosphatases, Phosphodiesterases, Poly ADP Ribose Polymerases (PARPs), Proteases, and Ubiquitin Enzymes. BPS offers one of the largest selections of recombinant enzymes and assay kits for drug discovery and continues to expand its portfolio of innovative drug discovery products. BPS also provides custom protein expression, biochemical and cell-based assays, and compound screening and profiling services. Headquartered in San Diego, California, BPS has provided products and services to pharmaceutical companies and academic institutes in over 45 countries worldwide. By being at the forefront of technology development, BPS focuses on providing quality life science products and services in a timely manner that will help our customers to accelerate drug discovery and development for treatment of human diseases. Visit BPS’s website for more information: http://www.bpsbioscience.com.

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