XenoPort is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a portfolio of internally discovered product candidates for the potential treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The company's drug discovery efforts focus on utilizing the body's natural nutrient transporter mechanisms to improve the therapeutic benefits of drugs. The most advanced product candidate is being developed for the potential treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and the management of neuropathic pain. The company's goal is to develop orally available, patentable new chemical entity that addresses large potential markets using currently marketed drugs that have deficiencies in the oral absorption, distribution and/or metabolism. XenoPort's new candidate, called a Transported Prodrug, is created by modifying the chemical structure of the currently marketed parent drug. XenoPort scientists have designed these Transported Prodrugs to be actively transported from the gastrointestinal, or GI, tract into the bloodstream, where they are metabolized to release the parent drug.

A key component of the company's strategy is to reduce the risks and time associated with drug development by capitalizing on the known safety, efficacy, and established drug development history of the parent drugs. In addition, XenoPort's improved prodrug products are designed to be metabolized to release the parent drugs and natural substances with favorable safety characteristics. This strategy aims to increase the probability of successfully development, as well as potentially expanding the indication for which the parent drugs have not been approved, but are nevertheless used off-label after having demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials. The company is located in Santa Clara, CA and employs approximately 150 professionals.

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