Impact of organ-on-a-chip technology on pharmaceutical R&D costs. Issue 9 (September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Franzen, Nora; van Harten, Wim H.; Retèl, Valesca P.; Loskill, Peter; van den Eijnden-van Raaij, Janny; IJzerman, Maarten
• Is Part Of: Drug discovery today. Volume 24:Issue 9(2019)
• Page Start: 1720
• Page End: 1724
• Publication Date: 2019-09
• Subjects: Drugs -- Design -- Periodicals; Drugs -- Research -- Periodicals; 615.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.06.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6446

Abstract

Highlights: The costs of R&D are crucial in the debate on high drug prices. An emergent technology that could transform R&D efficiency is organ-on-a-chip. Experts estimate the potential of organ-on-a-chip to reduce R&D costs by 10–26%. Improvements in success rates are expected to drive savings. Most impacted are the lead optimization and preclinical phases of R&D. Abstract : Healthcare systems are faced with the challenge of providing innovative treatments, while shouldering high drug costs that pharmaceutical companies justify by the high costs of R&D. An emergent technology that could transform R&D efficiency is organ-on-a-chip. The technology bridges the gap between preclinical testing and human trials through better predictive models, significantly impacting R&D costs. Here, we present an expert survey on the future role of organ-on-a-chip in drug discovery and its potential quantitative impact. We find that the technology has the potential to reduce R&D costs significantly, driven by changes in direct costs, success rates and the length of the R&D process. Finally, we discuss regulatory challenges to efficiency improvements.