Strategies to support drug discovery through integration of systems and data

Much progress has been made over the past several years to provide technologies for the integration of drug discovery software applications and the underlying data bits. Integration at the application layer has focused primarily on developing and delivering applications that support specific workflows within the drug discovery arena. A fine balance between creating behemoth applications and providing business value must be maintained. Heterogeneous data sources have typically been integrated at the data level in an effort to provide a more holistic view of the data packages supporting key decision points. This review will highlight past attempts, current status, and potential future directions for systems and data integration strategies in support of drug discovery efforts. The cost to bring a new drug to market in 2007 will exceed $1.3B, and it will have taken 16 years to move from inception to market. Pharmaceutical research and development costs will exceed $35B in 2007, up from $3B in 1980. Productivity, measured in terms of NCE or NME approvals per year, will remain flat or will decrease—a trend that has been consistent since 1996. Pharmaceutical companies must evaluate many diverse opportunities to decrease R&D costs and increase productivity and profitability. Informatics organizations have risen to the challenge of decreasing operating costs while delivering increased business value through a variety of innovative technologies discussed in this review.