The scientific advisory board (SAB) of Europital has forewarned a clinical knowledge deficit amongst smaller biotechs could potentially slow trials in 2021.
The Europital SAB comprises a group of clinical KOLs and industry experts and was created to address many of the ‘more complex targets and biologies that now proliferate in the drug discovery pipeline’.
“The drug discovery pipeline is increasingly made up of smaller and more nimble innovators with limited clinical experience in-house. Yet, with many of the low hanging fruit already having been developed, molecules and biologies are becoming ever more complex. The challenge for small and medium pharma and biotechs is how to access appropriate high-quality clinical knowledge – and this clinical deficit over the next few years is set to be a critical factor in any candidates advancement,” said Dr Mohamed El Malt, Chief Medical Officer of Europital.
Europital says investment communities will look holistically at biotechs and their partners to ensure that deep therapeutic expertise is available. This forensic approach aims to expedite development timelines and de-risk projects, especially as the business and investment model is to prove safety and efficacy for their drug candidates in Phase I and II clinical trials before seeking a sale or further rounds, the company says.
“It’s no secret that unlike the larger pharma companies that can pull in the best resources from the largest CROs, smaller companies must increasingly compete to ensure they can access the best clinical knowledge, as this can be the difference between delays due poor trial management and planning, and even, a project’s potential success or failure,” added El Malt.
