After ‘virtual man’, there is another trend catching up among the bioinformatics research groups, which is an ‘artificial liver’. Pioneering this research is Bangalore-based Strand Genomics in association with World Bank is in the process of giving out beta versions for the pharmaceutical companies.
Strand Genomics has initiated a defined project on ‘artificial liver’ which would pave way to the drug targets for liver disorders. Presently, the company is on the testing phase working on the Avadis platform. The company has given the product for beta testing to over seven global pharma companies and is currently under testing it. Perhaps, a short cut for research through a virtual tool.
Incidentally, a PricewaterhouseCoopers report says that by 2020, the pharma R&D process may be shortened by two-thirds, success rates may dramatically increase, and clinical trial costs could be cut substantially, through virtual R&D. New computer-based technologies will create a greater understanding of the biology of disease and the evolution of ‘virtual man’ to enable researchers to predict the effects of new drug candidates before they enter human beings.
Along with changes underway in the regulatory and socio-political environment, this will enable Pharma to overcome one of the most fundamental issues it needs to resolve over the next decade, says the report.
Says Sujay Shetty, associate director in PricewaterhouseCoopers: ‘Virtual man’ could ultimately evolve from the deployment of existing technologies that are connected in a new way. Models of the heart, organ, cells systems and musculoskeletal architecture are already being developed by academics around the world. Such technologies can be used to simulate the physiological effects of interacting with specific drugs and identify which drugs have a bearing on the course of a disease. Some companies using virtual technology have reduced clinical trial times by 40% and reduced the number of patients required by two thirds.
Of course, virtually-modelled molecules will still have to be tested in real human beings. However as a complete picture is developed of human biology and reliable biomarkers for identifying and monitoring patients become widely available, pharma companies will be able to optimise their trial designs and minimise the number of patients on whom new medicines are tested. They will develop treatments which have value in the eyes of patients, healthcare payers and for the companies themselves.
“New technologies will help pharma move forward, and will augment its capability of producing treatments which have measurable improvements in safety, efficacy and ease of compliance. Such treatments are valuable not only to healthcare spenders but also to companies creating them. They will result in considerable savings, and could also halve development time and attrition rates, thereby reducing the costs per drug radically,” he adds.