The pharmaceutical landscape is evolving rapidly, with cutting-edge technologies reshaping the way drug discovery and development are conducted. Amidst this transformation, the routine contract research approach continues to be a well validated method to work with trusted partners for pharmaceutical companies, biotech startups, and research institutions aiming to accelerate their R&D timelines while reducing costs. At its core, the contract research approach empowers organizations to access specialized expertise, technologies, and resources without the need for in-house investments.
The Growing Need for External Expertise in Pharmaceutical R&D
Pharmaceutical R&D is notoriously complex, expensive, and resource-heavy. Developing a single drug can take over a decade and cost billions of dollars. This growing financial burden has led many companies to seek external support through wet lab contract research organizations (CROs). This approach enables companies to outsource critical aspects of their workflows—from lead discovery to clinical trials—to expert third parties with niche capabilities.
R&D outsourcing doesn’t just aim to cut costs. By working with wet lab CROs, organizations tap into a global network of scientific expertise, state-of-the-art laboratories, and a range of tools without spending years building these capabilities internally. This is especially valuable for smaller biotech startups or research institutions working with tighter budgets.
However, as the industry faces mounting pressure to optimize operations, speed up drug delivery, and address unmet patient needs, leveraging AI-powered CROs has proven to be a powerful strategic shift. However, AI alone—despite the buzz— is not sufficient to solve the multifaceted optimization challenges of drug discovery. Deep understanding of disease biology, molecular pathways, and medicinal chemistry to discover and validate drug candidates are a few key components to achieve tangible outcomes. The BIOVIA Contract Research Program differentiates itself in a saturated market by seamlessly integrating Generative AI and Virtual Twin Experiences.
BIOVIA’s Revolutionary Approach to Contract Research
When it comes to combining scientific expertise with AI excellence and physics-based simulations, the BIOVIA Contract Research Program leads the charge. BIOVIA, a trusted leader in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, exemplifies the impact of the contract research approach by leveraging Virtual Twin as a Service (VTaaS), advanced IP management and the comprehensive 3DEXPERIENCE® platform to drive innovation.
- Virtual Twin as a Service provided by the BIOVIA Contract Research Program
At the heart of the BIOVIA Contract Research Program lies their groundbreaking Virtual Twin as a Service framework. This innovative framework enables pharmaceutical companies to simulate and validate drug discovery and development scenarios in a virtual space before committing to physical trials. By using the Virtual Twin technology, domain experts in the BIOVIA Contract Research team create highly accurate, Generative AI-driven simulations of physical systems. These simulations allow researchers to predict the drug’s real-world performance much earlier in the pipeline, reducing trial-and-error experimentation.
By partnering with the BIOVIA Contract Research Program, companies gain access to an advanced AI-powered ecosystem that helps them minimize experimental risks, reduce costs, and gain confidence in their research pathways.
Imagine having a virtual replica of your molecule study that lets you anticipate outcomes before even stepping into a laboratory. That’s precisely what Virtual Twin offers. This is a game-changer for pharma companies underscoring efficiency and innovation.
- Generating and Managing Unique Intellectual Property
The BIOVIA Contract Research Program goes beyond accelerating research and development; it empowers customers to generate and manage unique intellectual property (IP) more effectively. By leveraging advanced AI-powered Virtual Twin Experiences, companies can innovate faster while ensuring their IP remains safeguarded and well-organized.
What sets the BIOVIA Contract Research Program apart is that it facilitates pharmaceuticals and biotech companies to monetize this IP. Through seamless integration with the powerful 3DEXPERIENCE platform, customers can use their IP to unlock ongoing value. For example, the platform allows pharmaceutical companies to simulate production scenarios, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and efficiently manage regulatory compliance. It’s a dynamic end-to-end solution tailored to market demands.
Real Impact Across Industries
BIOVIA’s integration of AI tools has empowered startups and established pharmaceutical giants alike. For one of the projects, scientists from the BIOVIA Contract Research team collaborated closely with researchers in a biotherapeutics company developing oncology treatments to perform virtual “what if” experiments and model different molecules. They identified ones with desirable properties such as stability, without impacting other molecular function. Following a thorough and systematic analysis of the results, the team provided variants predicted to have a high likelihood of success when tested in the lab.
In a recent press release, Fabian Scheifele, Discovery Leader at CDR-Life, shared the significance of their collaboration with Dassault Systèmes’ Contract Research team. He stated:
“Our collaboration with Dassault Systèmes’ Contract Research team accelerated our research and development efforts based on our proprietary antibody-based MHC-targeting T-cell engager technology. By working together, we can use the insights gathered virtually for our protein engineering platform and pave the way toward more efficient and effective oncology treatments.”
Partnering For a Better Future
By partnering with the BIOVIA Contract Research Program, organizations aren’t just saving time and resources; they’re redefining what’s possible in the realm of drug discovery, development, delivery and innovation.
Companies have the opportunity to streamline complex processes, manage data smarter, and turn innovative ideas into tangible breakthroughs by harnessing the synergistic power of AI and expert-driven Virtual Twin Experiences. More importantly, it represents a shift towards a collaborative future.
Conclusion
For companies seeking tangible results to their critical business challenges in R&D, the BIOVIA Contract Research Program is an indispensable partner. From fostering innovation with Generative AI and end-to-end Virtual Twin Experiences on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the impact of such collaboration is a game-changer and gives competitive advantage to pharmaceutical companies.
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Jaya Tikhe has extensive experience and deep knowledge in early drug discovery and project management. As a medicinal and organic chemist, she has a proven track record of successful delivery of candidate quality molecules on programs in CNS, immunology, inflammation and oncology therapeutic areas. Currently, she leads the product marketing efforts for all Quality & Regulatory solutions at Dassault Systèmes.