Deploying continuous improvement across the drug discovery value chain

In addressing the challenges facing pharmaceutical R&D one question is frequently asked: how can continuous improvement (CI), delivered through a Lean Sigma approach, be applied in a research environment to deliver overall benefit? We show that taking a value chain approach to improvement projects in a discovery research organization, initially focusing on the drug discovery project delivery level (i.e. middle layer of the value chain), provides the foundation for an effective CI programme. The adaptation of Lean Sigma principles and methodology, combined with the tenacity and creativity of scientists, enabled the delivery of significant improvements in challenging areas, including target selection, project decision making and the compound design-make-test-analyse (DMTA) cycle.