Meeting the needs of changing research priorities

Blaine Armbruster, PhD, Global Marketing Manager, Eurofins Pharma Discovery Services, blainearmbruster@eurofins.com

The paradigm for drug discovery has been changing in recent years. Fewer blockbuster drugs are anticipated to be developed, and many existing blockbuster drugs have gone off-patent. As a result, most pharmaceutical companies are looking to evolve their approach to drug discovery. Part of this evolution is for Big Pharma to rely on acquisition of smaller companies with promising early stage pipelines while streamlining their own operations. As a result, internal capacity and know how is contracting. This means these companies are looking to supplement their internal capabilities by outsourcing more of their reagent production, assay development and testing.

As a market leading provider of products and services supporting early stage drug discovery, Eurofins Pharma Discovery Services (EPDS) is well suited to support the changing needs of biotech and pharmaceutical companies. The aim of early drug discovery is to identify molecules that interact with a target of interest and optimise their potency, safety and pharmacokinetic properties to obtain a candidate drug for IND submission for clinical trials. Along with custom service capabilities, EPDS has the largest portfolio of off-the-shelf products and services to test these properties.

A critical component that drove EPDS to its current market leadership position is the flexibility it provides their clients to transfer projects between internal and external resources. EPDS provides the same recombinant proteins and cell lines used in its screening services as reagents that clients can purchase. This means that researchers can perform the same assays with identical reagents in their own laboratories. This dual capability of assay services and reagent supply adapts to the customers evolving outsourcing priorities and reduces the risk when the decision to run assays in-house or at a service provider changes. Having both services and corresponding reagents available, means that customers can enjoy greater flexibility while being assured of more consistent data.

For more information on EPDS products and services, visit: www.eurofins.com/pharmadiscovery