Informatics systems used by research scientists today have significant limitations, since they come from many vendors, use different data formats, and were developed with various UI standards. These limitations create barriers to accessing and integrating heterogeneous, siloed research data in a meaningful way to facilitate innovation and collaboration. In this session, Accenture and Merck discuss the expanded capabilities and benefits—for drug discovery organizations and software providers—of a newly launched research platform that gives the research science world a highly elastic, cloud infrastructure with a single UI and advanced computing power that accelerates drug discovery activities and enables competitive differentiation. This session is brought to you by AWS partner, Accenture.

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Drug Discovery Innovation with an
Open Cloud Platform
Carol Rohl
Exec. Director,
Scientific Information
Management
Merck & Co.
S e s s i o n I D : L F S 3 0 2 - S
Hal Stern
AVP, IT Engineering
Merck & Co.
Joe Donahue
Managing Director
Accenture

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Summary
AWS, Accenture and Merck & Co. are collaborating to build
an industry technology platform for drug research.
Here’s why
We are in an era of unprecedented opportunities
to translate breakthrough science discoveries into
therapies, but IT is a barrier.
Platform paradigm can improve efficiency,
flexibility and user experience, accelerate
innovation, with a lower total cost of ownership.
Precompetitive IT collaboration will reduce
duplicative effort on commodity capabilities and
let scientists focus on the science and their data.

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The biopharmaceutical development process is long,
costly and built around a process of attrition
Phase I – III Trials Phase IVDrug DiscoveryBasic
Research

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Atomic
resolution of
living systems
Affordable
genome
sequencing
Imaging and
high content
screening
Science is experiencing unprecedented
advances in digitization
Data from the NHGRI Genome Sequencing Program (GSP)
[Accessed Oct 2018]. www.genome.gov/sequencingcostsdata.
Real-time
glucose
monitoring
High-throughput
single cell
profiling
Apple unveils Watch Series 4 with FDA-
approved ECG
This is first FDA clearance for Apple and pushes
the Watch further into healthcare than ever
before.
Understanding how Insulin works
(Nature volume 556, pages 122–125 (05 April 2018)
Sensors
and
Wearable
s

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…and sophistication of biological engineering
SMALL MOLECULES PEPTIDES, MRNA, NANOBODIES, etc. ANTIBODIES, ADCs, etc.
 Biodistribution
 Specificity
 Limited impact on difficult targets
 Biodistribution
 Specificity
 Success against difficult targets
Molecular
Weight
(Daltons) 150,0002,000500

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We are achieving exquisite levels of precision
in engineering biomolecules

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At the nexus of these new methods is the potential
to identify treatments that transform patient lives
Patient Outcomes
FDA News Release
FDA approves first cancer treatment for any
solid tumor with a specific genetic feature

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How do we scale the scientific method over time?

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How do we scale the scientific method over time?
DATA!Unrelenting increase in data complexity
INNOVATION’S
Niche applications required to mine unexplored scientific domains
LEGACY TECHNOLOGY
Current adoption of IT and IT model cannot keep pace
LONG TAIL…
Impediments for scaling science:

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How do we scale the scientific method over time?
Strategies for resolving scale impediments:
Leverage commodity
platform capabilities
to allow investment to refocus
on differentiated services
Apply the power of
two-sided markets
lower barriers to entry for
innovators and collaboration

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Embrace commodity capabilities within platforms
and refocus on differentiated services
On-premise ELNs, Analytics,
Inventory Management,
Integration, etc.
Efficiency
Differentiation
CommodityCompetitive
Low
High
PHARMA
TODAY

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RESEARCH
ACCELERATING
INNOVATION
COMMODITY
TOOLS AND
PLATFORMS
Embrace commodity capabilities within platforms
and refocus on differentiated services
Don’t
reinvent
PHARMA
TODAY
CommodityCompetitive
Low
High
Efficiency
Differentiation

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COMMODITY
TOOLS AND
PLATFORMS
Embrace commodity capabilities within platforms
and refocus on differentiated services
RESEARCH
ACCELERATING
INNOVATION
PHARMA
TODAY
CommodityCompetitive
Low
High
Efficiency
Differentiation

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Additionally, tracking user behaviors to identify desire
paths will allow insightful investment
INSTITUTIONAL
INNOVATION

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Additionally, tracking user behaviors to identify desire
paths will allow insightful investment
@ mentions
hashtags
group discussions
INSTITUTIONAL
INNOVATION

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Commodity platforms allow ISVs to focus on their unique
value by making available modules accessible for assembly
Focus on unique value
• Services exposed through APIs
• APIs decouple application from service
implementation and design
• Decoupling layers enable multiple speed IT
API
• Driver-Rider Match
• ETA Estimation
• Supply/Demand Analytics
API
• Rider & Car Registry
API
• Google Maps / Waze
API
• Credit Card Processing

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Commodity platforms allow ISVs to focus on their unique
value by making available modules accessible for assembly
Assemble – don’t reinvent
Focus on unique value
• Services exposed through APIs
• APIs decouple application from service
implementation and design
• Decoupling layers enable multiple speed IT
API
• Driver-Rider Match
• ETA Estimation
• Supply/Demand Analytics
API
• Rider & Car Registry
API
• Google Maps / Waze
API
• Credit Card Processing

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An opportunity exists for a precompetitive Research
platform that delivers value across the eco-system
Research Platform Imperatives:
Establish a two-sided market
for providers and consumers
Define industry standard APIs for
pre-competitive functions
Enable value creation
through component assembly
Lower barrier to entry for new,
small software players; help
large players innovate faster

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Accenture, AWS and Merck’s
New cloud-based informatics platform
Research
Search
Applications – lightweight
and fit for purpose aligned
with each scientist’s needs
Platform provides common
capabilities for security, data
management, standardization,
workflow connectivity…
Obsolete or at risk applications
replaced with ease
Introduces an App
marketplace
Lowering barrier to entry for new applications
Catalyzing innovation in the IT vendor community
Enabling quick response to changing scientific needs
Publicly accessible standard / basic apps
Specialized / differentiated apps

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Accenture, AWS and Merck’s New cloud-
based informatics platform
A new model for scientific workflow management, data aggregation, and decision support.
Foundational data,
workflow & decision
support capabilities
Scientific platform
services, built on AWS
Ecosystem for
innovative solutions
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Infrastructure
Specialized Workflow,
Advanced Analytics & Visualization Solutions
Search/
Browsing
Experiment
Data Archival
Assay Data
Capture
Request/
Workflow
Experiment
Planning/Design
Entity
Registration
Data
Visualization
IP
Capture
Report
Creation
Compound/
Sample Tracking
Workflow
Management
Data Access
for Analytics/
Modeling
Scientific Data Management Capabilities
Ingestion, Enrichment,
Relationship Linking, Integration
Research Workflow Capabilities
Standardization, Data Pipelining,
Context Linking, IP Protection

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Research Platform API Layers are constructed
of APIs serving each functional area
Plugin Architecture
Service registration,
message dispatch, usage
and license tracking
Platform-managed
URI Tree consistent
across all functions
Platform APIs:
Solution Partners
to code
Provider APIs:
ISV partners
develop plugins
ISV PartnersVendor …Vendor A Vendor B Vendor C
APIs APIs APIs APIs
Functionality FunctionalityFunctionality
…
……
Solution
Developers
Optional libraries and
toolkits for abstractions
and language bindings
Native APIs Provider APIs Provider APIs Provider APIs
Research Platform
API Function 1 API Function 2 API…
Core Research Platform

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An example of what the consortium has been
working on
Native APIs
MuleSoft Anypoint Platform – API Hosting & Management
Data APIs Registration APIs ADC APIs …
Registration
Vendor A
Provider APIs
Registration
Vendor B
Provider APIs
…
Provider APIs
Entity
Registration
Assay
Data Capture
Search …Request Management
VALIDATOR
1
2
3
4
5
6

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Applying a platform ecosystem approach to Research
A Research platform ecosystem environment that brings together researchers with software
and service providers in order to share data and capabilities, and to rapidly advance science.
ANALYTICS
APPLICATIONS
DATA
INFRASTRUCTURE
(Non-exhaustive list)

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ISVs can benefit from a two-sided market ecosystem, but will
need to rethink their model in order to remain competitive
Considerations for ISVs pivoting
to a platform model:
Solution packaging
Usage tracking
License model evolution
Leveraging platform infrastructure
Talent redeployment
Defending lower barriers to entry and exit
Two sided open platforms generally
outperform standalone products:
MatchingEfficiency
Market DepthThin Thick
Low
High
Products
Platforms

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What does being in a partnership mean?
Client Relationships/Access
Support go-to-market activities and
build knowledge of functional needs
Delivery
Blended teams providing complementary
and seamless consulting and services skills
Commercial/Licensing
License bundling or
pass-thru, as appropriate
Product Co-Development
Potential commitment to create
new solutions and offerings
Alignment on Standards
Commitment to develop to defined
development standards to drive interoperability

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We’re looking for tomorrow’s
citizen scientists
So you have a great idea…?
…let’s discuss how to plug it in!

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We’re looking for tomorrow’s
citizen scientists
So you have a great idea…?
…let’s discuss how to plug it in!
Ecosystem Partner Developers Workshop
8AM-10:30AM, November 28th
Encore, 3131 South Las Vegas Blvd.

29. Thank you!
© 2018, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Hal Stern
hal.stern@merck.com
Carol Rohl
carol.rohl@merck.com
Joe Donahue
joseph.f.donahue@accenture.com

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