At the time the hot research area was in testing G-protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs.

FORBES: The Next Fat Pill

That would allow Arena to target the hundreds of so-called orphan GPCRs that have no known ligands.

FORBES: The Next Fat Pill

At the time, the hot research area was in testing G-protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRS. These proteins transmit chemical signals into a wide variety of cell types.

FORBES: The Next Fat Pill

Drugmakers looked for proteins called ligands, which dock to specific GPCRs, and then created a drug that either blocked or enhanced the ability of the ligand to connect with its receptor.

FORBES: The Next Fat Pill

Noting that its basic structure resembled that of other receptors, he also came to understand that there exists an entire family of similar receptors, now widely known as G-protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs.

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