Workshop Bottlenecks identification in drug discovery... And solutions please!
January 22, 2009, Museum Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands 

The pipeline of new molecular entities for the treatment of diseases is at a record low in spite of large financial investments and revolutionary discoveries in basic science. The EMEA ‘Roadmap to 2010’ and FDA ‘innovation or stagnation’ report analyze this situation and make suggestions to adjust the current paradigm. What are the bottlenecks in the discovery phase of new drugs and what are possible solutions to improve performance? In this workshop bottlenecks in the drug discovery phase are identified, analyzed and possible solutions discussed.
The stage will be set by a number of recognized experts in the field and then ample opportunity will be given to discuss the bottlenecks and ways around them in interactive round table sessions where the participants discuss the issues at stake on the basis of theses/propositions.

Click here to download the report of the workshop, including (most of ) the presentations of the speakers (in PDF, opens in a new window). 

MedNous (www.mednous.com)
An article about the workshop has been published in the February 2009 issue of MedNous. Click here to download the article “Overcoming bottlenecks in drug discovery” (in PDF, opens in new window).

Organized by:
EUFEPS
The European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences (EUFEPS) is the only pan-European body to represent the interests of scientists in industry, academia, government and other institutions engaged in drug research, development, regulation and policymaking through Europe. Founded in 1991, it is there to serve and advance excellence in the pharmaceutical sciences and innovative drug research. Currently, EUFEPS links 24 Member Societies in 24 countries. In addition, there are Individual Members and Member Institutions of EUFEPS.
 
TI Pharma
Within TI Pharma, consortia of industrial and academic research teams conduct groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary research projects that fit into the Priority Medicines program of the WHO. Each year, the Dutch government funds the top institute to a tune of 30 million Euros. The pharmaceutical industry and academia each contribute an additional 15 million Euros per year. TI Pharma is becoming an international leader in (bio)pharmaceutical research, training and education. TI Pharma’s fellows are trained in understanding the intricacies of the entire drug R&D process. , consortia of industrial and academic research teams conduct groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary research projects that fit into the program of the WHO. Each year, the Dutch government funds the top institute to a tune of 30 million Euros. The pharmaceutical industry and academia each contribute an additional 15 million Euros per year. TI Pharma is becoming an international leader in (bio) pharmaceutical research, training and education. TI Pharma’s fellows are trained in understanding the intricacies of the entire drug R&D process.

The declining number of approved new molecular entities for the treatment of diseases is detrimental to patients with an unmet medical need and to the innovative pharmaceutical industry.

The EUFEPS/TI Pharma workshop “Bottlenecks identification in drug discovery … and solutions please!” which was successfully run on 23 January in Naturalis in Leiden addressed the perceived bottlenecks in the drug discovery phase. As the title indicated: not only were the bottlenecks discussed; the speakers had been asked to come up with solutions, and they did.
During the morning phenotypic screening, systems biology & pharmacology, and fragment-based drug design were presented as newly developed tools to improve target & lead identification.

During the afternoon the novel developments in preclinical to clinical translation of drug discovery were discussed. Several speakers talked about pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling, predictive ADMET and the relevance of reactive intermediates formation.
Following these lectures, lively round-table discussions were held which were chaired by these experts in the field. Topics such as the added value of biomarkers, the role of patient organizations, the need for education and new approaches and business models, such as public-private partnerships, were discussed.

For more information please contact Martijn Holleman by telephone +31 71 332 2046 or mail to info(at)tipharma.com.