New perspectives and lessons learned in the identification of impurities in drug development

• Published in: Drug discovery today 2014-11, Vol.19 (11), p.1691-1695
• Main Authors: Sasaki, Ryan R., McGibbon, Graham, Lee, Mike S., Murray, Clare L., Pharr, Bruce
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cooperative Behavior; Drug Contamination - prevention & control; Drug Discovery; Informatics; Laboratories
• ISSN: 1359-6446; 1878-5832
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.07.003

•Demand for improved productivity in drug development continues to be a high priority.•Improving overall productivity requires a combination of strategies.•Moderate improvements can lead to substantial returns.•IRM is a new informatics approach offered by ACD/Labs toward managing impurity data and knowledge. Within the pharmaceutical industry, the rapid identification, elucidation and characterization of synthetic or process impurities or degradants form an intense and a comprehensive undertaking. Advances in laboratory hardware and software are changing the way in which scientists work together to help resolve impurities in a quick and efficient manner. Although the industry trend toward externalization and outsourcing of development tasks provides a cost-effective method, the demand for improved productivity in laboratory workflows in drug development continues to be a high priority. This brings a need for new approaches for communication, collaboration and data management. The rapid identification, elucidation and characterization of impurities form an intense and comprehensive undertaking. Presented is a commentary on a new laboratory informatics approach offered by ACD/Labs to improve productivity in this environment.