White Point Systems: Press Release 11/2/99

WHITE POINT SYSTEMS, INC.

PRESS RELEASE

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

FOR RELEASE: November 2, 1999

WHITE POINT SYSTEMS RECEIVES U.S. PATENT FOR NATURAL PRODUCTS INFORMATION SYSTEM
(Friday Harbor, WA) -- White Point Systems, Inc. (WPS, a privately held company), today announces the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 5,978,804 for a computer-based Natural Products Information System. The patent covers storage and correlation of natural products drug discovery data such as chemical structures, source organism taxonomy, source organism images and geographic locations. The data processing system further correlates the data products data and images stored in the system with remote databases, such as those containing existing commercially available data.

WPS has developed the NAPIS database technology based on this patent. NAPIS [R] is the registered tradename for NAtural Products Information System and represents a suite of products including NAPIS Enterprise, NAPIS Laboratory and NAPIS Lite. NAPIS supports drug discovery researchers at the government, university and industry levels 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., is an innovative service company that supports the pharmaceutical industry with natural products chemistry programs, and the natural resource management industry with biodiversity assessment services. Programs serving both these industries focus on drug discovery and development using advanced technologies for information handling. NAPIS was developed in part with grant funds from the US National Cancer Institute, Small Business Innovation Research grant program. WPS has strategic alliances with Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) for GIS, and with Oxford Molecular Group and MDL Information Systems for chemical structure handling technologies.

Home - Company - Products - Services - Press - Contact Us - Tech Support