Bioinformatics in pharma
Leveraging big data for drug discovery and development (1,185 words, 6 minutes)
The integration of bioinformatics has become a crucial tool in accelerating drug discovery and development due to the massive amounts of data generated from sources such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and clinical trials.
A review in the journal Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics notes that leveraging big data through bioinformatics can help identify potential drug targets and optimize drug candidates with greater precision and efficiency.
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, genomic data, including DNA sequences and genetic variations, is a valuable source of information for understanding the genetic basis of diseases and individual drug responses. Bioinformatics tools enable the analysis of large genomic datasets to identify disease-associated genes, genetic mutations, and biomarkers. Subject expert Venkatesh Chellappa emphasizes how bioinformatics can identify disease-associated genes, crucial for personalized therapies.
A significant aspect of bioinformatics is proteomics and metabolomics analysis. A Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience study notes that proteomics and metabolomics reveal complex protein and metabolite networks in biological pathways and diseases. Scientific Reports reports that some bioinformatics approaches, such as protein structure prediction and molecular modelling, can help identify protein-drug interactions, predict drug efficacy and toxicity, and optimize drug design.
Bioinformatics could also be helpful in clinical trials. Clinical trials generate large amounts of structured and unstructured data, including patient demographics, medical histories, and treatment outcomes. An article in Bioinformatics Tools and Software in Clinical Research reports that bioinformatics tools can facilitate the mining and analysis of these datasets to identify patient subpopulations, predict treatment responses, and detect adverse drug reactions. An article in the journal Pharmaceutics adds that pharmaceutical companies can optimize clinical trial designs, enhance patient stratification, and accelerate drug development timelines by leveraging machine learning algorithms and statistical models.
Bottom line: While bioinformatics tools can potentially transform the pharmaceutical industry, some challenges should be considered. A report in Biophysical Reviews notes that bioinformatics’s main challenges are data integration, standardization, and computational complexity. Ensuring data privacy, security, and compliance with regulatory standards is also essential.
THIS WEEK 02/26/24
The U.S. FDA approved Teva Pharmaceutical’s adalimumab-ryvk (Simlandi) injection, a biosimilar to Humira, for the treatment of adult rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, adult psoriatic arthritis, adult ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, adult ulcerative colitis, adult plaque psoriasis, adult hidradenitis suppurativa and adult uveitis.
Iovance Biotherapeutics announced the U.S. FDA has approved lifileucel (Amtagvi) suspension for intravenous infusion to treat adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
The U.S. FDA approved Eicos Sciences’ iloprost (Aurlumyn) injection to treat severe frostbite in adults to reduce the risk of finger or toe amputation.
Alexion Pharma Canada Corp, AstraZeneca’s Rare Disease group, is marking Rare Disease Day on Thursday, Feb. 29, by launching colourUp4RARE. The international campaign aims to raise awareness of how to improve the quality of life of people living with rare diseases in Canada and worldwide.
LISTEN UP
In season 12 of the NPC Podcast, Aldona Armstrong, Commercial Solutions Lead, Immunology at UCB, gives insights into patient advocacy initiatives, working with key opinion leaders, and ways to implement specialty marketing approaches. Hear her in conversation with podcast hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea and Mark McElwain.
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MARKETING HALL OF FAME
The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame awards were established in 2002 to honour healthcare marketers who have contributed to our vocation and inspire others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 21 years. In the selection committee’s view, they represent a cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge the 2023 Hall of Fame Honorees over the next few weeks. Nominate a colleague for the 2024 Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame here.
2023 Inductee
Brigitte Nolet
President & CEO
Roche Canada Pharma
Mississauga, Ont.
Brigitte Nolet, President & CEO of Roche Canada Pharma, began her career at Health Canada and transitioned to roles such as press secretary, communications advisor and Director of Communications at various government departments. Nolet then joined Rx&D (now Innovative Medicines Canada) when her health was top of mind. “Around the time that Rx&D approached me, I fell sick with arthritis,” recalls Nolet. “I was quite aware of the importance of medicine in my life. It already sounded like an interesting career change, and I happened to be in an industry that provided me with much support and pain relief. We all join the industry for different reasons, but we often stay for very personal ones. For me, this work is deeply personal.”
The impact of innovative healthcare again hit close to home when Roche called in 2006. As Nolet was contemplating joining the organization, a family member was diagnosed with a severe illness.
“My father-in-law fell ill with lymphoma around the time that Roche was talking to me about an opportunity,” says Nolet. “He was treated with what would have been a new medicine—an oncology medicine from Roche. He lived many more years after that cancer episode. This move was no longer only about my career. I thought, ‘Well, if this is the company that developed medicine that saved someone’s life in my family, I really should explore this opportunity.’”
Since joining Roche, Nolet has held numerous roles, including Director of Government Affairs and Health Policy for Specialty Care at Roche Canada, Head of the Global Health Policy team out of Switzerland, Integrated Franchise Leader for Rare Diseases at Roche UK, as well as General Manager for Roche Belgium and Luxembourg.
Nolet’s international experience brings a much-needed global perspective back to Canada. She believes in Canada’s potential to be a global healthcare leader. She shares insights about the patient, societal, and economic benefits seen in other countries with faster access to medicines.
To ensure innovative healthcare reaches those who need it, Nolet presses for robust strategies and concrete actions to remove barriers to access. “It is about all of us coming together, the public sector, the private sector, and the not-for-profit sector, looking at what we can do to make our processes less siloed, more efficient, and patient-focused. We need to focus on what is possible to get the outcomes that patients and society need and deserve,” says Nolet.
Please participate in our survey on access to drugs for Canadians and the impact of U.S. politics
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