Lexicon Pharmaceuticals works with some of the biggest words in the dictionary -- words like deoxyribonucleic acid. The drug development company is focused on a handful of candidates in clinical and pre-clinical research, identified by its gene knockout technology. Its leading candidates include LX4211 for type 2 diabetes, LX1031and LX1033 for irritable bowel syndrome and LX1032 for carcinoid syndrome. Other products in its pipeline include treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and glaucoma. The company got its start with the development of knockout mice -- mice whose DNA has been modified to disrupt, or "knock out" certain gene functions -- to study the potential effects of drugs on various genetic targets.