White Point Systems: Press Release 6/15/96

WHITE POINT SYSTEMS, INC.

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT:
Gregg R. Dietzman
White Point Systems, Inc.
(360) 378-7292

FOR RELEASE: April 25, 2001

WHITE POINT SYSTEMS RELEASES NAPIS^ŽVERSION 2.0
(Friday Harbor, WA) -- White Point Systems, Inc. (WPS, a privately held company), today announces the release of version 2.0 of its NAPIS (NAtural Products Information System) client/server database software. NAPIS is a specialized laboratory information management system (LIMS) database that integrates with other chemical and analytical information management systems, an industry standard with more than 4,000 users from more than 70 different countries since it's release in 1997. The NAPIS technology is delivered at three levels: NAPIS Enterprise (Oracle), NAPIS Laboratory (Paradox) and the limited feature-set NAPIS Lite (Paradox, free download at www.esri.com). NAPIS version 2.0 is amplified and extended to include support for analytical chemistry and to provide data mining tools.

NAPIS supports drug discovery researchers at the government, industry, and university level by providing a link between the library, laboratory, and the field. Researchers use NAPIS to support their natural products drug discovery programs by integrating bioassay, analytical chemistry and field biology data which allows query for important organism group / chemical structure / biological activity relationships. The incorporation of geographic information system (GIS) technology allows traditional database tables to be related to spatial features on computer-based maps. Researchers can query using the GIS map and drill down on chemical structures, or vice versa, query on source organism / chemistry / bioactivity and show the results on a map. NAPIS is developed within a client/server environment but can also function autonomously, it is modular, scaleable and secure.

The NAPIS technology provides important features for researchers working with natural products chemicals. Natural products are chemical or genetic materials derived from natural sources that are commonly used in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Because chemical diversity in the natural environment is directly proportional to biological plus geographic diversity, researchers travel the world acquiring samples to evaluate in their drug discovery screens. Documenting these samples is critical. Wild-source biological samples must have a 'chain of custody' to assure 'commercial best efforts' in complying with new stewardship laws and policies. Tracking the isolation of new chemcial entities from these samples requires integration with analytical chemistry studies and bioassay results, in compliance with good laboratory practice (GLP) and the Food and Drug Administration's electronic records and signatures rule, 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11. Prioritizing active leads in the drug discovery and development pipeline requires meeting short timetable deadlines.

The extended information handling requirements faced by drug discovery programs that screen natural products are met by the NAPIS technology, where they can be converted to assets for guiding future efforts and enhance the probability of success.

White Point Systems, Inc., incorporated in 1993, is an innovative service company that supports the pharmaceutical industry with natural products discovery research informatics, chemistry programs and related biological assessment services. NAPIS was developed in part with grant funds from the US National Cancer Institute, Small Business Innovation Research grant program.

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