INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International application No. PCT/US99/12925 C (Continuation). DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Category* Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of die relevant passages Relevant to claim No. Y SIH et al. Studies on (H+-K+)-ATPase Inhibitors of Gastric Acid 1-45 Secretion. Prodrugs of 2-[(2-Pyridinylmethyl) sulfìnyl]- benzimidazole Proton-Pump Inhibitors. J. Med. Chem. 1991, Vol. 34, No. 3, pages 1049-1062, see entire article, especially page 1050 and Tables. Y US 5,554,631 A (KIM et al) 10 September 1996 (10/09/96), see 1-45 entire document, especially columns 1-5 and claims 1-4. Y US 5,049,566 A (CHIESI et al) 17 September 1991 (17/09/91), see 1-45 entire document. Y MORII et al. Oligomeric Regulation of Gastric HF, K"-ATPase. J. 1-45 Biol. Chem. 23 February 1996, Vol. 271, No. 8, pages 4068-4072, see Abstract and Discussion (page 4072). Y US 5,677,302 A (KARIMIAN et al) 14 October 1997 (14/10/97), 1-45 see entire document. Y SHUKER et al. Discovering High-Affinity Ligands for Proteins: 17-43 SAR by NMR. Science. 29 November 1996, Vol. 274, pages 1531- 1534, see entire article, especially Figure 1. Y US 5,463,564 A (AGRAFIOTIS et al) 31 October 1995 (31/10/95), 17-43 see entire document, especially Abstract and claim 1. INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International application No. PCT/US99/12925 Box I Observations where certain claims were found unsearchable (Continuation of item 1 of first sheet) This international report has not been established in respect of certain claims under Article 17 (2) (a) for the following reasons: 1. n Claims : because they relate to subject matter not required to be searched by this Authority, namely : 2. t Claims Nos.: because they relate to parts of the international application that do not comply with the prescribed requirements to such an extent that no meaningful international search can be carried out, specifically : 3. F7 Claims Nos : because they are dependent claims and are not drafted in accorda lce with tbe second and third sentences of Rule 6.4 (a). Box II Observations where unity of invention is lacking (Continuation of item 2 of Srst sheet) This International Searching Authority found multiple inventions in this international application, as follows: Please See Extra Sheet. 1.2 As aLI requued additlonal search fees were timely paid by dhe applicant, this international search reportcovers all searchable claims. 2. As all searchable claims could be searched without effort justifying an additional fee, this Authority did not invite payment of any additional fee. 3. As only some of the required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this international search report covers only those claims for which fees were paid, specifically claims Nos.: 4. No required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant. Consequently, this international search report is restricted to the invention first mentioned in the claims ; it is covered by claims Nos.: Remark on Protest The additional search fees were accompanied by the applicant's protest. No protest accompanied the payment of additional search fees. INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International application No. PCT/US99/12925 l B. FIELDS SEARCHED Electronic data bases consulted (Name of data base and where practicable terms used): WEST, STN (CAPLUS, SCISEARCH, BIOSIS, MEDLINE) Search terms: omeprazole, pantoprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole. lemmoprazole, multivalent, divalent, multimeric, dimeric, combinatorial, library, covalent, fink ? (tinker, linked) BOX II. OBSERVATIONS WHERE UNITY OF INVENTION WAS LACKING This ISA found multiple inventions as follows: This application contains the following inventions or groups of inventions which are not so linked as to form a single inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1. In order for all inventions to be searched, the appropriate additional search fees must be paid. Group I, claim (s) 1-16, 44 and 45, drawn to multibinding compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment. Group lI, claim (s) 17-43, drawn to a method for identifying multimeric ligand compounds, library of multimeric ligand compounds and an iterative method for identifying multimeric ligand compounds. This application contains claims directed to more than one species of the generic invention. These species are deemed to lack Unity of Invention because they are not so linked as to form a single inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1. In order for more than one species to be searched, the appropriate additional search fees must be paid. The species are asfollows: In Group L, there are 13 species of ligand : Species A: omeprazole and S-omeprazole Species B: pantoprazole and S-pantoprazole Species C: lansoprasole and S-lansoprasole Species D: rabeprazole Species E : leminoprazole Species F: IY-81149 Species G: RO-18-5364 Species H: AD-8240 Species I : Sch 28080 Species J: H-33525 Species K: SK&F-97574 Species L : SK&F-96067 Species M: YH1885 The claims are deemed to correspond to the species listed above in the following maimer : Species A: Claims 1-5, S-10, 13-16, 44,45 Species B: Claims 1-4,8,9,13-16,44,45 Species C: Claims 1-4, 8,9,13-16,44,45 Species D: Claims 1-4,8,9,13-16,44,45 Species E: Claims 1-4,8,9,13-16,44,45 Species F: Claims 1-4,8,9,13-16,44,45 Species G: Claims 1-4,8,9,13-16,44,45 Species H: Claims 1-4,8,9,13-16,44,45 Species I : Claims 1-4, 7-9,12-16,44,45 Species J: Claims 1-4, 8,9,13-16,44,45 Species K: Claims 1-4,6,8,9,11,13-16,44,45 Species L: Claims 1-4, 8,9,13-16,44,45 Species M: Claims 1-4, 8, 9,13-16,44,45 The following claims are generic: 1-4, 8,9,13-16,44,45 INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International application No. PCT/US99/12925 The inventions listed as Groups I and II do not relate to a single inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1 because, under PCT Rule 13. 2, they lack the same or corresponding special technical features for the following reasons: The two groups do not share the same special technical feature. The feature that links the claims in Group I is the multibinding compounds of a particular formula. The feature that links the claims in Group II is the library of multimeric ligand compounds possessing multibinding properties (no structural limitations). A library is a different inventive concept than a single compound and therefore the two groups lack unity. The species listed above do not relate to a single inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1 because, under PCT Rule 13.2, the species lack the same or corresponding special technical features for die following reasons: PCT Rule 13.2 states that unity of invention shall be fulfilled when there is a technical relationship among those inventions involving one or more of the same or corresponding special technical features". It further defines"special technical feature"as"those technical features that define a contribution which each of the claimed inventions, claimed as a whole, makes over the prior art". For example, unity of invention is fulfilled if : (a) all alternatives have a common property; and (b) (i) a common structure is present, i. e. a significant structural element is shared by all alternatives, or (b) (ii) in cases where the common structure can not be the unifying criterion, all alternatives belong to a recognized class of compounds in the art to which the invention pertains. (MPEP Section 1850). In the instant case, part (a) above is fulfilled because all claimed species of ligand have a common property. However, the compounds encompassed by the instant formulas do not all possess a common structure (no shared significant structural element). Further, all of the species do not belong to a recognized class of compounds in the art to which they pertain. For the forgoing reasons, election under these rules is proper and required.