Winning the Battle of High Failure Rates in Drug Discovery: Interview with: Professor Theo Meert, Senior Director External Innovations NS, Janssen Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson, a speaker at the marcus evans Discovery Summit 2012, shares strategies for improving drug discovery efforts.

1. Winning the Battle of
High Failure Rates in Drug Discovery
continue to invest. Together with the from human tissue based approaches,
complexities involved in understanding diseased and not, such as genetics, the
chronic brain disorders, discovery various forms of omics, IPS cells, and
efforts are demanding and need a so on, which in the past were easier to
multidisciplinary approach, often access in oncology than in the
involving various partners. neurosciences. Also advances in the
area of imaging, electronic recordings
How can pharma companies win the and (in vivo) electrophysiology are
battle of high failure rates? giving us a more in-depth
understanding of neuronal connectivity
Several processes are proving to be and thus global functioning of the brain.
successful when it comes to target All these technological evolutions,
validation and POC. Scientists should together with a better recording and use
Interview with: Professor Theo ensure that targets are expressed/ of patient databases (medical health
Meert, Senior Director External engaged in the human pathological care records) help to drive the science
Innovations NS, Janssen Research conditions and strive to have a better forward.
& Development, Johnson & Johnson understanding of the disease
(progression) itself through systems Why do you consider open
biology. This would be a good starting collaboration in this field essential?
The failure rate across the different point.
stages of drug development have Although there is a natural competition
been increasing over the years, but A good interaction with principal between pharmaceutical companies for
there could be ways around it, says investigators within different expertises the compound/treatment itself, a lot of
Professor Theo Meert, Senior Director in areas of focused research and moving the science could be done in a pre-
External Innovations NS, Janssen away from the classical ways of competitive space, through partnerships
Research & Development, Johnson & developing and testing drugs is what is between companies and academia.
Johnson. A speaker at the marcus often needed. Scientists can utilise Publishing negative results of clinical
evans Discovery Summit 2012, different kind of biomarkers, various trials and using community funding in
which took place in Cannes, France, technologies to integrate different kind collaboration would also move science
22 - 23 March, Meert talked about drug of biological data which can be ahead. A more holistic approach both in
discovery in Neuroscience (NS) and collected, stratify patient populations, drug development but also in treatment
shared target validation and Proof of use translational experimental medicine strategies will give us a better success
Concept (POC) testing strategies. approaches and use integrated in our challenge to treat some of
databases of patient recordings. humanities’ most devastating illnesses.
Why have some pharmaceutical
companies trimmed down their At present, drug development costs
discovery efforts? around USD 2 billion and in some cases
One issue is the challenges of bringing
it can take up to 15 years. A more
stratified experimental approach, using
A more
forth novel Central Nervous System
(CNS) medicines. The work required
integrated approaches and targeting the
relevant targets in sub-populations of
holistic approach
to get a compound approved has
increased, especially since the
patients could reduce the overall cost
of development. The formation of
would give us a
env iron me n t de man ds in crea se d
efficacy/ differentiation against existing
international consortia with pre -
competitive research would also help to
better success in
therapies, and this is what is needed to
truly transform care for patients. It has
reduce costs of target validation,
biomarker development, human POC
our challenge to
become harder to validate novel drug
targets related to disease modification,
testing and should contribute to an
increased scientific knowledge of
treat some of
both in terms of pre-clinical and POC in
the clinic itself. Generic drugs are also
disease chronification in various CNS
disorders.
humanities’ most
having an important impact, with many
companies losing patents in the CNS In drug discovery, what are some of
devastating
area, reducing the amount of money
that can be spent in research. At
the scientific areas or technologies
worth following?
illnesses
Janssen, however, we continue to be
fully committed to CNS research and We are seeing more approaches starting

2. About the Discovery Summit 2012
The Pharma Network -
marcus evans Summits group
This unique forum took place at the Majestic Barrière Hotel, Cannes, France, 22 - 23
delivers peer-to-peer information
March 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show,
on strategic matters, professional
this exclusive meeting brought together esteemed industry thought leaders and
trends and breakthrough
solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The
innovations.
Summit included presentations on ensuring successful drug discovery, stimulating
innovation and creating partnerships.
www.discovery-summit.com
Please note that the Summit is a Contact
closed business event and the
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To view the web version of this interview please click here: www.discovery-summit.com/TheoMeert