Q: How many schemes of synthesis are included in Synthline®?
A: Synthline® includes more than 8,000 synthesis schemes for more than 5,300 drugs currently marketed or in clinical trials worldwide and provides structure-searchable access to more than 41,000 chemical intermediates and reagents from these schemes. More than 1,000 new synthesis schemes are added each year.

Q: What type of information is included in Synthline®?
A: Information provided in the Synthline® database includes: synthesis schemes and text descriptions of the route of synthesis and their corresponding original reference citations; chemical structures of intermediates in the route of synthesis and their chemical name, CAS® Registry Number, molecular formula, molecular weight and commercial source (if available commercially); and chemical structures of end products synthesized and their drug name, chemical name, CAS® Registry Number, originator and licensees, current development phase, pharmacotherapeutic activity, molecular formula and molecular weight.

Q: What are the sources of information for the data in Synthline®?
A: The main body of information in Synthline® is derived from the current patent literature and from premier publications in the field of medicinal chemistry, including, among others: Bioorg Med Chem, Bioorg Med Chem Lett, Chem Pharm Bull, Eur J Med Chem, Eur J Med Chem - Chim Ther, Helv Chim Acta, J Am Chem Soc, J Heterocyclic Chem, J Label Compd Radiopharm, J Med Chem, J Org Chem, Synthesis, Tetrahedron, Tetrahedron Asymmetry and Tetrahedron Lett. All the synthesis information published in the Prous Science journal Drugs of the Future since 1976 is also included in Synthline®.

Q: Is information from the Prous Science journals available in Synthline®?
A: Synthline® includes the drug synthesis information published in the Prous Science journal Drugs of the Future since 1976. This information is not presented as images of the printed pages, however, but in the form of records with the data organized in discrete fields that can be searched.

Information that is static in print becomes dynamic in the database; that is, it is updated on a regular basis. A drug monograph that appeared in Drugs of the Future in 1990, for example, may have had only a single scheme of synthesis accompanying the text at publication. A new route of synthesis developed subsequently may have been published in a later (separate) issue of the journal. In Synthline® this information appears in concert and is correlated to specific and current information for the end product synthesized. If the end product synthesized was in early stages of development when first described in the print journal and has progressed through the drug development pipeline in the meantime, the Synthline® database reflects the current development status, as well as generic or brand names that have been established, co-developers or co-marketers that have entered the picture, etc.

Q: How is Synthline® supplied?
A: The Synthline® database is distributed on CD-ROM; Synthline® on the Web is an Internet service providing access to the same data available on the Synthline® CD-ROM.

Q: What is the difference between the Synthline® CD-ROM and Synthline® on the Web?
A:The Synthline® CD-ROM offers the transportability of a CD-ROM-based product and does not require an Internet connection; it also offers functions such as sort, lists and bookmarks, as well as a variety of print formats. Synthline® on the Web offers faster access to new releases of the database and the convenience of anytime, anywhere access to users with an Internet connection.

Q: How often is Synthline® updated and what is the scope of updates?
A: The Synthline® CD-ROM is updated 6 times annually and new releases ship at the beginning of even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October and December). New releases of the CD-ROM are full releases and include new records that have been added to the database and updated information, as applicable, in records previously included in the database. Synthline® on the Web is updated once monthly. More than 1,000 new synthesis schemes and 10,000 new chemical intermediates are added to Synthline® each year.

Q: What kind of information is updated in the database?
A: New information is added to records in the Synthline® database on a continuous basis. This includes new synthesis schemes that appear in the biomedical and patent literature and their corresponding reference citations, as well as changes in end product information such as development phase (e.g., when a compound moves from one clinical phase to another or is launched); new company codes and generic and brand names; the names of co-developers or other licensees that become involved in development and/or marketing activities, etc.

Q: What are the hardware and software requirements for running Synthline® on the Web?
A: Synthline® on the Web users must have an Internet connection and a JavaScript-enabled Web browser (e.g., Netscape 4.0 or higher; Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher). No additional software is required to search on information in the full-text search module of Synthline® on the Web. The chemical structure search module of Synthline® on the Web is a CS ChemOffice^TM Webserver application. To utilize the chemical structure search function, users must have installed on their computers the CS ChemDraw^TM Net Plugin, which can be downloaded free of charge from CambridgeSoft Corporation (www.camsoft.com). Registered users receive a User ID and Password granting access to Synthline® on the Web.

Q: What are the hardware and software requirements for running the Synthline® CD-ROM?
A: Hardware: the Synthline® CD-ROM requires a PC-compatible computer running a 32-bit operating system (Microsoft Windows® 95, or higher). A CD-ROM drive and Microsoft-compatible mouse are required. A color monitor is recommended for optimum display of the information. Approximately 30 MB hard disk free space is required to install and run the CS ChemOffice^TM Pro-compatible version of the program; approximately 250 MB hard disk free space is required to install the ISIS^TM/Desktop-compatible version of the program. Software: Additional software, sold separately, is required to run chemical structure searches in the Synthline® CD-ROM. The Synthline® CD-ROM is compatible with two of the most widely used structure databases management software suites in industry: the CS ChemOffice^TM Pro suite from CambridgeSoft Corporation (version required: CS ChemDraw^TM Pro v. 4.5 or higher and CS ChemFinder^TM Pro v. 4.0 or higher) and the ISIS^TM/Desktop suite from MDL Information Systems, Inc. (version required: ISIS^TM/Draw and ISIS^TM/Base v. 2.0 or higher).

Q: How do I know which version of the Synthline® CD-ROM to order?
A: The CS ChemOffice^TM Pro version and the ISIS^TM/Desktop version of the Synthline® CD-ROM are both supplied, so it is not necessary to specify which version you want when placing your order. You can decide which version to install depending on which structure database management suite--ISIS^TM/Desktop or CS ChemOffice^TM Pro--is installed on the computer where the Synthline® CD-ROM will be run.

Q: Are there any differences between the CS ChemOffice^TM Pro- and the ISIS^TM/Desktop-compatible versions of the Synthline® CD-ROM?
A: The information contained in both versions of the Synthline® CD-ROM is identical, but the method of retrieving information varies. In the ISIS^TM/Desktop-compatible version, textual and structural data are organized in two standard ISIS^TM hierarchical databases that are cross-referenced. In the CS ChemOffice^TM Pro-compatible version, all information is integrated in a single menu-driven application.

Q: I don't have either the CS ChemOffice^TM Pro or ISIS^TM/Desktop software; can I still use the Synthline® CD-ROM?
A: Yes, you can run the Synthline® CD-ROM without having access to either of these software suites. If you run the Synthline® CD-ROM without having one of the above suites installed on your computer, the functions for running structure, molecular weight and molecular formula searches are disabled; however, all types of text searches can be run and all the information available in the database can be freely displayed (i.e., synthesis schemes and structures, as well as the textual information).

Q: How can I obtain the software that will allow me to do structure searches in the Synthline® CD-ROM?
A: Contact CambridgeSoft Corporation (www.camsoft.com) or MDL Information Systems, Inc. (www.mdli.com) directly. The company Web sites list local offices and distributors.

Q: Can I subscribe to both the Synthline® CD-ROM and Synthline® on the Web simultaneously?
A: Yes, a special price is available for users who wish to receive the Synthline® CD-ROM and also have access to Synthline® on the Web.

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