By Jessica English
MiBiz Network

KALAMAZOO—A Kalamazoo College professor is teaming up with Pfizer scientists to explore a new way of testing drugs with computer models.

Dr. Péter Erdi, Henry R. Luce professor at the Kalamazoo College Center for Complex Systems Studies, was one of two finalists last month in the Pfizer Research Contract Competition. Part of the MichBio Expo 2005 in Detroit, the contest was aimed at fostering partnerships and accelerating business development in the state's life sciences industry. The competition's other finalist was Ann Arbor-based NeuroNexus Technologies, which presented a proposal for an implantable microscale drug delivery device.

Ed Pagani is president of MichBio and senior director and site head for strategic alliances at Pfizer Michigan Laboratories in Ann Arbor. He told MiBiz that Pfizer launched the competition to support small companies, researchers and inventors, but also because the company depends on external partners to help in its research and development efforts.

"We asked for proposals centered on a handful of issues," Pagani said. "We were hoping to hear about and see opportunities that we otherwise hadn't come across, and that's exactly what happened."

The award has translated into a contract with Pfizer Inc. for Erdi, who has been working with computer simulations for more than three decades. Over the past 25 years, Erdi has developed a specialty in computational neuroscience. In that time, he noted, the availability of brain imaging data has exploded—PET, EEG, MEG and fMRI scans can all be used to document the brain in both its normal and pathological states. That data has led to more sophisticated, effective computer models.

"As people's understanding of science becomes more advanced, the next generation of computer models becomes more dependable," said Pagani. "Every year, more of the variables become known, and scientists like Dr. Erdi write better models."

Erdi noted that the field of computational neuroscience has attracted a great deal of attention over the past few years.

"We have a lot of data about the brain, but that data is still scattered," Erdi said. "Computational models help us form a more coherent picture."

Erdi's niche is in computational neuropharmacology, which aims to build models of what the brain looks like both in its normal state and when it's experiencing neurological or psychiatric disorder. His model can be used to pre-screen molecules for effectiveness against a host of disorders. The ineffective ones can be weeded out immediately, and those that show promise can be further investigated in the laboratory.

"Traditional molecular screening is very expensive," said Erdi. "We're looking at whether our computational model is a good method for designing new drugs. It's certainly a new way of thinking about drug discovery."

Using computational models for drug discovery isn't new, Erdi noted, but his groundbreaking techniques use spatial-temporal activities to explore the differences between normal and pathological patterns. The new models look at how molecules act on those patterns to shift them from a pathological state to a normal one.

Erdi's preliminary work has focused on anti-anxiety drugs, or anxiolytics. The first phase of the Pfizer work will focus on finding anxiolytics that don't have negative side effects. He said he believes the principles could also be used to find drugs to fight epilepsy and schizophrenia.

Pfizer officials and Erdi had not yet finalized their contract when they spoke with MiBiz. The MichBio criteria, however, notes that winners may receive up to $30,000 in secured funding.

Pagani knows that the dollar amount of this initial contract isn't enough to change lives or alter the direction of a career. However, he said he believes the networking opportunities made possible through the contract could make a significant impact.

"This project could lead to a much larger collaboration that might even draw in other researchers at Kalamazoo College," said Pagani. "Partnerships bring with them a lot of valuable things — it could be a validation of a technology by making it more visible to other potential partners. And from Dr. Erdi's perspective, he and his students gain experience with an industrial partner."

According to Pagani, both Pfizer and MichBio officials view the inaugural competition as a success, although Pfizer's participation next year is not yet certain. For 2006, officials hope to expand the program to include research proposals related to medical devices and possibly other areas of the life sciences. That move would require additional financial sponsors, Pagani said.