Accessing external innovation in drug discovery and development.

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical R&D
• Drug Discovery and Development
• Open Innovation

Background:

• Declining pharmaceutical R&D productivity necessitates new strategies beyond internal resources.
• Classical drug discovery models require reevaluation to improve innovation.
• Accessing external innovation is a key focus for enhancing the drug discovery pipeline.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review external innovation opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry.
• To explore new models for accessing external contributions in drug development.
• To assess the potential of external innovation in improving R&D productivity.

Main Methods:

• Review of external innovation opportunities.
• Analysis of increased academic interactions (centers of excellence/innovation).
• Examination of communication tools (crowdsourcing, social media) and new business models (built-to-buy startups, virtual pharmaceutical companies).

Main Results:

• External innovation strategies are being sought to improve R&D productivity.
• Opportunities include academic partnerships, crowdsourcing, and specialized external providers.
• External innovation is primarily considered in early drug development stages, with potential for broader application.

Conclusions:

• External innovation is crucial for addressing the pharmaceutical industry's R&D productivity challenge.
• Increased academic interaction and novel business models support external innovation access.
• Long-term integration of external innovation into drug development is recommended, with strategic balance.
• The optimal balance between internal and external drug discovery varies by company strategy.