The release of arachidonic acid, a precursor in the production of prostaglandins 
and leukotrienes, is achieved by activity of the cytosolic phospholipase A(2)α 
(cPLA(2)α). Signaling mediated by this class of bioactive lipids, which are 
collectively referred to as eicosanoids, has numerous effects in physiological 
and pathological processes. Herein, we report the development of a ligand-based 
pharmacophore model and pharmacophore-based virtual screening of the National 
Cancer Institute (NCI) database, leading to the identification of 
4-(hexadecyloxy)-3-(2-(hydroxyimino)-3-oxobutanamido)benzoic acid (NSC 119957) 
as cPLA(2)α inhibitor in cell-free and cell-based in vitro assays.