Drug Discovery: What's Hot in 2023

Tools that mimic human organs, and virtual reality in the drug design space

Organs on Chips

We’re getting closer to truly predictive efficacy models using human derived cells or tissues

Technologies to mimic human organs, or even a whole human, in vitro have been explored over some time. However, the advent of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Modernization Act , which is progressing through both Houses of Congress, has added a new level of energy behind these activities. The Act potentially paves the way for a new drug to be launched without ever having been tested in animals. Owing to this, I believe there will be renewed efforts to develop truly predictive efficacy-based models using human derived cells or tissues. Efficacy is still the biggest killer of drug development programmes, in part due to the fact that animals often do not accurately represent many human diseases. The Act will fuel a resurgence of activity in the race to develop predictive in vitro models where the complexities of a disease are embedded within a system that aims to mimic the human body, including the influence of the immune system, using human tissues or cells and patient-matched blood in an artificial circulation system. If successful, these technologies will not only reduce clinical attrition by better representation of a disease state but will also reduce the use of animals in research and development, something that we can all support.

The Virtual World of Drug Design

The viewer sees what the avatar sees, in 3D space

We are all familiar with the use of virtual reality in the gaming world, where the ability to immerse oneself within a 3D environment for a more realistic experience has become routine. But this technology is now being used in other fields such as architecture, medicine and now drug discovery. The ability to explore a protein structure or ligand binding site by “standing” within the molecule itself and being able to converse with other scientists who are “standing” with you in the same space will provide enormous potential to unlock a scientist’s creativity in designing new drugs. These systems take protein structures and create an accurate 3D representation of the molecule and allows the viewer to explore any part of the structure from any viewpoint via an avatar. The viewer sees what the avatar sees, from the position of the avatar within the 3D world, via a virtual reality headset. Each viewer has their own avatar which can be moved independently or brought together so all the avatars see the same view. Importantly, the viewers need not be physically in the same room and can in fact be in different countries! It is a truly collaborative experience within an immersive environment that is ready to make a significant impact on the way we collaborate and design new drugs.

-Justin Bryans, Chief Scientific Officer, Early Discovery, Charles River