New Drug R&D Increasingly Depends on Partnerships Between Drug Sponsors and Service Providers, According to Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - July 8, 2009) - If drug developers are to remain competitive, they must rely less on traditional outsourcing, in which external service providers offer a way to quickly staff up for specific tasks, and seek to become development partners with those same service providers, according to a panel of drug industry leaders recently convened by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development.

"The concept of the fully integrated pharmaceutical company, which manages all aspects of research and development, is giving way to the idea of the fully integrated pharmaceutical network, which is based on flexible relationships across all stages of R&D," said Tufts CSDD Director Kenneth I Kaitin.

"Where the fully integrated company may outsource to contract service providers, members of a fully integrated network, which includes drug sponsors and outside service providers, act more as equal partners, sharing decisions and risks."

The idea of the fully integrated network strategy is gaining ground, he noted, as it can lower operational expenses, increase R&D flexibility, and shorten cycle times.

The pharmaceutical and biotech executives, who convene several times a year at the Tufts CSDD Executive Forum Roundtable Series, also noted that:

   * While partnerships initially may be more expensive than the
     traditional approach to outsourcing, they are expected to help drug
     sponsors better manage costs and reduce redundancy between sponsors
     and service providers.

   * Flexibility and adaptability, supported by open and frequent
     communication, are key to developing the high level of collaboration
     that makes partnership-based networks work.


SCHEDULED TUFTS CSDD EXECUTIVE FORUM ROUNDTABLES

Upcoming Tufts CSDD Executive Forum Roundtable meetings will focus on the
following:

Sept. 10, 2009 -- Best R&D Practices of Top Pharma/Biotech Performers
Nov. 12, 2009  -- Comparative Approaches to Capacity Forecasting
Feb. 25, 2010  -- Improving ROI and Late Stage Clinical Success Rates
May 13, 2010   -- Strategies for Managing Drug Development Risk:
                  Maintaining Portfolio Diversity

To learn more, call 617-636-2170.

About the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development

The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (http://csdd.tufts.edu) at Tufts University provides strategic information to help drug developers, regulators, and policy makers improve the quality and efficiency of pharmaceutical development, review, and utilization. Tufts CSDD, based in Boston, conducts a wide range of in-depth analyses on pharmaceutical issues and hosts symposia, workshops, and public forums, and publishes the Tufts CSDD Impact Report, a bi-monthly newsletter providing analysis and insight into critical drug development issues.

Contact Information: Contact: Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development Charlene Neu 617-636-2187 Business Communication Strategies Peter Lowy 617-734-9980