MyMetabolon Login
© 2020 Metabolon, Inc. All rights reserved.
Metabolon Metabolon
  • Metabolomics
    • About Metabolomics
    • Our Process
    • Technology & Knowledgebase
    • Setting the Standard: The 4Cs
    • Our Latest Insights
  • Solutions
    • Column 1
      • Products & Services
        • Global Metabolomics
        • Lipidomics
        • Targeted Assays
        • Study Design & Consulting
        • Sample Preparation & Handling
        • Study Success Sample Handling Kit
        • Reporting & Interpretation
        • Bioinformatics
        • MyMetabolon Client Portal
    • Column 2
      • By Research & Development Phase
        • Discovery & Target Selection
        • Lead Candidate Selection
        • Preclinical
        • Clinical Development
        • Manufacturing & Bioprocessing
    • Column 3
      • By Therapeutic Area
        • Cardiovascular Disease
        • COVID-19
        • Diabetes
        • Gastrointestinal
        • Liver Disease
        • Microbiome
        • Neuroscience
        • Oncology
        • Renal & Urological Disorders
        • Respiratory Disorders
    • Column 4
      • By Sector
        • Academic
        • Agriculture
        • Biotech / Pharmaceutical
        • Precision Medicine
        • Nutrition
        • Personal Care & Cosmetics
        • Population Health
        • Veterinary & Animal Health
  • Insights
    • Our Latest Insights
    • Blog
    • News & Events
  • Resources
    • Resource Library
    • Client Stories
    • COVID-19
  • Company
    • About Us
    • Working With Us (FAQ)
    • Leadership
    • Careers
    • Strategic Partnering
    • News & Events
    • Contact Us
MyMetabolon
Demo Our Data
Metabolon
Demo Our Data

Using Metabolomics to Reduce Drug Attrition in Pharma R&D

inDrug Development

It’s well-known that the time and cost to bring a new pharmaceutical to market are considerable. The average length of time from target ID to a new therapeutic is about 13 years and costs roughly $1.5 billion, embedded within an overall failure rate of 95%. But why?

The heart of drug attrition

When you ask scientists and biopharma leaders about the source of high drug attrition rates, they give many factors. However, the lack of “translatability” is most frequently cited as the root of the problem. Lack of translatability can come in the form of the failure of preclinical models to predict efficacy, safety issues with compounds, or not treating the “right” patients. All of this ultimately comes down to points within this process being foggy or lacking critical information.

We recently had two senior research executives from a Top 5 pharmaceutical company share their thoughts on attrition and how metabolomics is turning the tide.

David Morris, vice president of R&D, said, “Many of the programs that we start, for one reason or another, do not make it through to the clinic. Part of the reason is that we don’t have a suite of technologies that allow a pretty good predictive analysis of what will and will not be successful.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VY_7Vkt3x0&feature=youtu.be

So, how does one achieve greater clarity across the drug development process? How do you know for certain that directing a compound against a target will combat the disease in humans without compromising safety? Ultimately, choosing the right target comes down to deep understanding of human biology – knowing that a target is relevant to disease, that relevant preclinical models reflect salient aspects of the disease and target biology, and that hitting the target will positively affect the disease without undesirable side effects.

“Any technology that allows that reasonable prediction is going to be highly valued by pharmaceutical R&D workers,” continued Morris.

No clear path

Pharmaceutical companies are constantly bombarded with “the next great thing” that will revolutionize drug discovery or reduce attrition. Clearly, while many technologies have been useful, none have fully delivered on the promises.

“There is a tremendous suite of tools available to most pharmaceutical R&D researchers…everything from genetics, genomics, imaging, structural biology, rational drug design,” said Morris. “The challenge is that in combination, many of them will point in a direction, but none of them will give an unequivocal positive or negative about the outcome.”

Metabolomics points the way

Metabolomics, however, provides comprehensive, actionable insight into each stage of the drug development process that allows drug researchers to assess safety and efficacy (as well as their associated biomarkers) and make meaningful decisions across the development process.

Jon Williams, a senior technology director at the pharmaceutical company, said, “The best part about metabolomics is that you can see signals for both safety and efficacy at the same time. And, if you can see that, you can [say] this compound’s effective, but it doesn’t look like it has the right safety signals. Let’s kill that compound.”

Because metabolomics creates a comprehensive snapshot of the phenotype and aggregates all the activity of the organism and the influences on the organism like a drug treatment, it is proving itself to be a powerful source of information to help build confidence and discharge risk.

“The beauty of metabolomics is that it lets the body do the work and essentially integrates all of those functions. And, what you get is an aggregate yield of all the changes that the body has actually undertaken. What you’re seeing is the end product of a lot of different interactions biochemically, cellularly, in the body, to yield that metabolomic profile,” said Morris.

Williams added, “If you do not have metabolomics expertise, it’s a very tough field to build into. We had some institutional knowledge of metabolomics…and had done an internal effort before, and actually had shut it down many years ago. So, the partnership [with Metabolon] made sense.”

In closing the video, Morris said this about metabolomics, “It’s a very powerful technology. And, if I had to take my toolbox, empty it out, and think about what tools I would put back in there, I can honestly say that metabolomics and Metabolon’s platform would be one of the first that went back in that toolbox. I view it with that level of importance.” To put metabolomics to work for your R&D efforts, please contact us.

Back to the Blog
  • Metabolism: an old dog with new tricks
    Previous PostMetabolism: an old dog with new tricks
  • Next PostIs the Fountain of Youth a Metabolite Away?
    Metabolism: an old dog with new tricks

Related Posts

Webinar: Unique advantages of incorporating untargeted and targeted metabolomics in drug development and clinical trials
Events

Webinar: Unique advantages of incorporating untargeted and targeted metabolomics in drug development and clinical trials

Leveraging Machine Learning to Advance Precision Medicine
Press

Leveraging Machine Learning to Advance Precision Medicine

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) Selects Metabolon, Inc. for COVID-19 Study
Company News

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) Selects Metabolon, Inc. for COVID-19 Study

Webinar: Deeper Understanding of COVID-19 Phenotypes Through Metabolomics: A Panel Discussion
Events

Webinar: Deeper Understanding of COVID-19 Phenotypes Through Metabolomics: A Panel Discussion

Metabolon’s Client Data Table enables study analysis
Blog Capabilities Working with Metabolon

Metabolon’s Client Data Table enables study analysis

Establishing industry QA/QC best practices for global metabolomics
Capabilities Working with Metabolon

Establishing industry QA/QC best practices for global metabolomics

Webinar: Mechanisms of Immune Control and Metabolomics
Events

Webinar: Mechanisms of Immune Control and Metabolomics

Metabolon, Inc. Announces $72 Million in Debt and Equity Financing to Accelerate Advancements in Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Development Technologies
Company News

Metabolon, Inc. Announces $72 Million in Debt and Equity Financing to Accelerate Advancements in Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Development Technologies

Event: BioProcess International
Events

Event: BioProcess International

Presentation: Leveraging Global Metabolomics at the Intersection of Physiology and Behavior (at MANA 2020)
Events

Presentation: Leveraging Global Metabolomics at the Intersection of Physiology and Behavior (at MANA 2020)

Metabolomics

  • About Metabolomics
  • Our Process
  • Technology & Knowledgebase
  • Setting the Standard: The 4Cs
  • Insights & Discoveries

Solutions

  • Products & Services
  • By Research & Development Phase
  • By Therapeutic Area
  • By Sector

Insights

  • Our Latest Insights
  • Blog
  • News & Events

Resources

  • Resource Library
  • Client Stories
  • COVID-19

Company

  • About Us
  • Working With Us (FAQ)
  • Leadership
  • Careers
  • Strategic Partnering
  • News & Events
  • Contact Us
Metabolon - Logo - Enlightening Life

Metabolon provides actionable biological insights to answer the toughest questions in life sciences research and drug development.

© 2021 Metabolon, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy & Terms

in
Copy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.