Research informatics:Layout 1 14/1/10 19:56 Page 21
Informatics
Leveraging research
informatics to accelerate
drug discovery
Research informatics has a vital array of tools which can advance the speed
and success rate of drug discovery. This article discusses that if pharma
companies want to benefit from these tools and are serious about overhauling
their research capabilities, then they must realise that this is a major
transformation effort encompassing complex inter-dependencies between data
and visualisation, as well as collaboration and workflow.
T
he life science industry is constantly seek- To complicate matters further, research labs are
By Dr Anirban Ghosh
ing new ways of advancing its research generating data faster than can be fully integrated.
and Siddharth
techniques. Research innovation in this This is because companies are increasingly adopt-
Sawhney
sector is driven by patent expiries, pricing pres- ing omics-based scientific methods to gain infor-
sures, evolving therapeutic needs and the advent of mation and knowledge. While the pharmaceutical
biologics for drug development. However, recently industry has been adept at optimising the drug
these pressures have been exacerbated by the glob- development process, it has rarely implemented
al scale and spread of research, new research meth- different structures
2
to make the discovery process
ods, overflow of scientific research data, and the more efficient
3
. Therefore, scientists must use their
need for collaborative research practices. In spite creativity to constantly innovate, align informatics
of this, having a wide range of technologies at their and data management needs to meet an integrated
disposal such as Genomics, Proteomics, Marker cross-disciplinary discovery process.
Based Assessment and Microarray Technology,
organisations are still finding it challenging to Challenges in discovery research
realise the full potential of their research. In this The drug discovery process is complex and inter-
article we examine the various research challenges disciplinary in nature; however, there are portfolios
facing the industry and discuss the ways in which of support tools and applications, collectively
these can increase drug research through Research named Research Informatics, which can help
Informatics tools. immensely. The life science industry faces several
In recent years the transformation of drug dis- key challenges which can hinder drug discovery; in
covery research has been propelled by the need to particular, coping with data that is generated by
replenish a dwindling product pipeline. With $60 registering biological or chemical entities and test-
billion worth of products going off patent by 2011, ing their biological, physical or chemical character
life science companies have to identify novel and or their pharmacological action. Information relat-
innovative methods to compensate for falling ed to the registration and assay workflows, form
research productivity
1
. the basis of all scientific innovation in any disease
Drug Discovery World Winter 2009/10 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88