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The power of innovative partnerships in driving drug discovery

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Two scientists well-known within the European Lead Factory community, Peter Simpson and Graeme Wilkinson, recently published a paper discussing the features underpinning a successful drug discovery consortium.

Titled “What makes a drug discovery consortium successful?”, the paper details how large pharma companies have become increasingly open to collaborative approaches of drug discovery research, making themselves available to partnering with academic groups and SMEs. “With many consortia now active,” it notes, “there is both growing experience and interest in the factors that contribute to their success or failure.”

It states the benefits that multi-party consortia offer to large companies, smaller organisations and charities, and notes that maintaining alignment between parties regarding workflow, goals and decision-making processes can help reduce any risks of failure.

The paper also comments on the vital role of an ‘honest-broker’ or independent body in managing a consortium, highlighting the European Lead Factory and how in its early days of planning, realistic expectations were clearly set and agreed upon by all consortium members.

The paper was published in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery and can be accessed here.

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