Quintiles, the market leader in clinical research, is now viewing Asian countries as new location for drug development. The company, providing clinical services and solutions to the bio-pharmaceutical industry, will now have a unique vantage point. Our mission is to be at the leading edge of transformation, facilitating the necessary transition of our clients to the wheel-and-spoke model of partnerships and alliances, Dr Amar Kureishi, chief medical officer and Head of Strategic Drug Development, Quintiles Asia Pacific told Pharmabiz in an email interaction.
“To this end, one of the first steps my unit undertakes when formulating clinical development strategies in Asia for our global clients is to understand how the new drug would best add value within the Asian context of disease,” he added.
Asia is rapidly becoming a new frontier for drug development as Western companies seek to develop and register their products, while emerging Asian companies seek new capabilities to globalize their products. This has resulted primarily because the global bio-pharmaceutical industry is currently at a crossroads, and the path forward is not clear.
However, to fully capitalize on the opportunities, the industry has to abandon its current go-at-it-alone model and move to a new model of drug discovery and development which covers multiple strategic partnerships. Within the changing landscape, we call the new health, patient empowerment and market access considerations as the drivers of innovation. To address these changes, the industry has to radically change its business model, Dr Kureishi pointed out.
The new model transforms from a linear structure, to one of multiple partnerships, with a focus on collaboration instead of control. The model can be represented by a ‘wheel and spoke’ with either a full-service Clinical Research Organisation or a large biopharma at the centre of the wheel, outsourcing many of the tasks it previously performed in house. In this model, the biopharma company and CRO play a more strategic role in clinical drug development and help foster innovation.
As the linear model of drug development falters, companies, specializing in clinical research, are becoming more important in drug development, not only from a contract service provider prospective, but also as experts with global experience in strategic drug development. With a cross-industry view of trends, and ideally positioned to evaluate risks and make informed decisions, these companies are transitioning from traditional service providers to valuable partners with innovative solutions. This wheel-and-spoke collaborative model has the potential to transform drug development, he said.
India has among emerging countries a strong domestic pharmaceutical sector, and dominant globally in generics. Its success is driven by the excellent skills in medicinal chemistry and manufacturing, but with no innovation. However, we see Indian generic companies with original products in their pipelines, to begin claiming a stake in proprietary, innovative products, said Dr Kureishi.