Some of the take home messages from the symposium centered around the fact that more comprehensive, biologically relevant information can be collected more easily with label-free technologies. Some talks pointed out that the information can be less ‘binary’ than the hit/no hit answers we’re used to getting from high throughput screening (HTS), meaning that more information can be gleaned, but that more sophisticated data analyses may be needed. Although the conference appeared to feature a whirlwind of technologies, from calorimetry to optical biosensors to mass spectrometry, the same targets kept re-emerging (GPCRs, 7TMs). Thus, there is a common theme to these tools: they give us information that was difficult to obtain before.

How do the technologies work? There is no single answer, because they are so diverse, but basically they measure molecules interacting or cellular phenomena by detecting perturbations in the system. For example, optical biosensors used with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detect a change in the refractive index when a protein binds a small molecule or protein, for biochemical/protein assays. For some label-free cell-based assays, a change in impedance is used to detect changes in cell morphology, adhesion, or viability. Check out this presentation from Corning (PDF) which shows how their Epic^© System works and can discern between different GPCRs and types of effectors.

Many of the talks at the SBS symposium were from drug discovery scientists from pharma/biotech, and each speaker usually focused on a particular instrument. At first, this made the conference feel as if it was too ’sponsored,’ but I think it might just be the nature of the industry, as most have a ‘favorite’ instrument. Here is a table outlining the companies/instruments that appeared to ’shine’ at the conference. Interestingly, Biacore/GE Healthcare did not exhibit or present at the conference, although their instruments have been a mainstay in SPR.

What is the drug discovery 2.0 connection with label-free technologies? Reports on both  cell-based and biochemical label-free technologies predict a significant impact for drug discovery (links are to summaries–full reports must be purchased). A Drug Discovery World summary of the cell-based report detailed that the most impacted areas are likely to be hit identification and lead optimization. Some nice reviews exist in the literature, as well as this freely available one I found. Label-free technologies have the potential to streamline and standardize assay development for different targets and also provide an orthogonal, rich source of information that complements existing methods. Improvements in throughput, for example as seen with the Fujifilm AP-3000 instrument for SPR, mean that larger numbers of correlations are now possible.

Does the Assay Depot marketplace offer label-free assay services? We’re not aware that any of our providers specialize in these types of assays, but we spoke to several companies at the conference and got a great response. Stay tuned!

To share this post easily use the URL http://bit.ly/euDM3

Powered by Twitter Tools

Listing your services with Assay Depot is easy. We’ve created a simple interface for you to enter and update your service listings.  You might even find that it helps you organize your offerings internally. You’ll be able to log into a single interface and manage all of your quotes and projects … for all of your Assay Depot clients. We think that will save you time and money.

We’ve actually saved the best for last in this post. An important part of negotiating and implementing a successful service project is communication, and we’re betting that you spend a lot of your resources on this function. We’ve built a unique, sophisticated, and intuitive interface for you to discuss every aspect of your services and projects with clients. In many ways, we’ve created ready-made customer relationship management (CRM) software specific to each service that your business offers.  More on this private microblog concept later.

To share this post easily use this URL http://bit.ly/7si35

Most provider directories are a collection of data about CROs. Which is nice, but most of the ‘pain’ of outsourcing comes from what comes next: the information exchange, the negotiations, material transfer, and project milestones and deliverables. Assay Depot’s marketplace provides you with this information, and also detailed, actionable listings for more than 2000 assays and services.

So, you won’t be left with just a phone number from a directory, you’ll be able to research, compare, and execute services. We make it easy by taking care of the legal process, allowing you to communicate regularly with the providers, and helping to manage your data and materials. We’ll be starting a ‘howto’ series soon, and signing up is very easy, take a test drive!

You’ll benefit both in the short and long term by using Assay Depot. In the short term, your projects will run more efficiently, accelerating research and encouraging innovation. Long term advantages include capturing metrics which enable procurement cost-reduction strategies and improve outsourcing oversight. Consolidating and optimizing the outsourcing workflow frees up resources in legal, finance, and administration.

Want the really big picture? By standardizing the services, and providing head-to-head competition, improvements in quality and overall value will result. It’s a win-win situation for customers and CRO providers. Utilization of CROs is growing at a compound annual rate of 16%, and is expected to reach $8B in 2013 (Kalorama Outsourcing in Drug Discovery, May 2008). A survey of drug discovery researchers and managers indicated that 41% planned to increase outsourcing by 10% or more in 2009 compared to 2008 (Contract Pharma 2008 Outsourcing Survey).

We think it’s a great time for you to take advantage of new efficiencies made possible by the Assay Depot marketplace. We’re looking forward to sharing our experiences with you and discussing the future of drug discovery.

To share this post easily use the URL http://bit.ly/2A45Ql

By 2007, research outsourcing had already become an important component of pharmaceutical drug discovery.  Pharmaceutical researchers (who spend the bulk of drug research dollars) were increasingly purchasing research services from external service providers (aka Contract Research Organizations or CROs), and the number of CROs had skyrocketed from just a handful in the early 1990s to many thousands located throughout the world.  Yet, despite the huge increase in the number of research customers and CROs, there was no systematic way to find, compare and order outsourced research services.  Each CRO needed to be approached individually, often by phone.  Non-disclosure agreements, master services agreements (MSAs) and prices needed to be negotiated.  Billing and data reporting processes needed to be set up.  It could and did take months before the actual research service was initiated.  To make things worse, this entire unwieldy process needed to be repeated every time a researcher needed a new service.

We recognized that simply creating an online database of CROs would not address the core inefficiencies of outsourcing.  To make the process more efficient, we would need to build a comprehensive provider database and do at least five additional things:

1. Provide highly detailed scientific information about the services for sale;
2. Make service pricing much more transparent;
3. Shorten the time-consuming and expensive legal process;
4. Establish a direct communication link between the CRO and researcher; and
5. Enable CROs to respond to quote requests and manage their orders online.

We spent most of 2008 creating an online marketplace (located at assaydepot.com) that satisfies these five requirements.  On one website, researchers can now find and compare highly detailed scientific information about thousands of research services.  They can place orders for these services without having to negotiate prices, as many CROs list service prices on the marketplace.  Likewise, they can place online orders on the marketplace without having to negotiate any legal agreements, as all CROs have pre-signed a standard MSA covering confidentiality and service performance.  They can also use Assay Depot’s online quote request forms to simplify the design of custom services and, before and after ordering a service, they can communicate with CROs through a private microblog.  The net result for the researcher is that outsourcing becomes easy.  Thousands of research services are now at their fingertips, ordered in just a few mouse clicks.

The benefits for the CRO are significant as well.  For them, the marketplace is a single Amazon-like store where they can create and list services, respond to quote requests, communicate with researchers and process orders.  They promote their own brands but since Assay Depot helps finds the customer, pre-establishes the MSA and also carries out the billing/invoicing for the service, they can offer services with only limited internal administrative support.   Their primary focus can be on creating quality services that researchers need.

Can an online outsourcing marketplace really change how pharmaceutical drug discovery is done?  That won’t be easy, but in theory at least the concept is simple.  Once the marketplace reaches a critical mass of service providers, drug researchers will be able to access any service they need, the moment they need it.  For the first time in the industry’s history, a single scientist will be able to run an entire drug discovery program (cost-effectively by today’s standards) from a laptop computer, without doing any laboratory work whatever.   I think that capability could be game changing.

I will expand on what I think that means for the industry in future posts.  For now, though, I want to make it clear that by improving the outsourcing process we are not to trying to replace pharmaceutical scientists.  Our goal is the exact opposite – to remove the routine from research so that scientists can focus on the innovative research that will really make a difference in their lives and ours.

To share this post easily use the URL http://bit.ly/3CMoLP