Managing the drug discovery/development interface

The transformation of drug discovery in the past decade will result in an expanding array of novel development candidates that will outstrip the development resources of even the largest pharmaceutical companies. A critical success factor for drug companies will be their ability to maximize the value of their development portfolios by focusing finite resources on projects with real potential. Successful management of the research-to-development interface will require better quality decision making in the selection of entrants to development and in portfolio management. Clarity in defining the product opportunity in the challenging new pharmaceutical marketplace will be crucial to such decision making.