Portfolio managment:Layout 1 14/1/10 20:10 Page 9
Business
Maximising the impact
of technologies on drug
discovery through
portfolio management
The opportunities to invest in new technologies in drug discovery are broad
and extensive. Knowing where to place your investment and ensuring return
on these investments is critical to ensure future success. The application of
portfolio and project management (PPM) tools, along with scientific expertise,
is important to ensuring transparency and alignment in applying the
technologies, as well as, measuring the impact of the investment on the drug
discovery pipeline. This paper will explore the application of portfolio and
project management (PPM) as applied to drug discovery technologies. Drawing
upon examples from systems biology, translational medicine and high
throughput screening (HTS), this paper will illustrate the use of PPMs. The
lessons learned, best practices developed and barriers to success will also be
explored. The authors believe that the application of PPM can have an impact
on applying advanced technologies to deliver quality and innovation to drug
discovery pipelines.
P
harmaceutical discovery has seen the intro- and capital investment in equipment and labora-
By Charles S.
duction of many new technologies over the tories. Pharmaceutical companies have many more
Dormer,
past couple of decades, including high opportunities to invest in these technologies than
Dr Mark Beggs,
throughput screening, combinatorial chemistry, resources available. Pharmaceutical executives
Dr Lynn Brennan
genomics, proteomics, RNAi, as well as biophar- have to make decisions about which technologies
and Roanna London
maceutical, translational medicine and system to invest in and to what extent to invest. They
biology approaches to drug discovery. Each of have to answer the question: “Do we want to be
these technologies offers the potential of deliver- early adopters of the technologies or be a fast fol-
ing great promise to change the paradigm of drug lower?” The speed of scientific advancement
discovery and bring forward new innovative drugs means the fast follower approach could result in
to patients. Each technology brings with it a high being left behind and then struggling to catch up.
degree of complexity and the need for internal and The risk of being an early adopter is that resources
external investments, including specialised staff are wasted as the full potential of the technology
Drug Discovery World Winter 2009/10 9
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