Data science in early drug discovery – getting it right from the start

The application of data science in the early stages of drug development is not new – progress in algorithms and computing power has been ongoing for years. We have reached the point where we have to reflect on the road travelled and look forward to upcoming opportunities and challenges. To further pave the way and reach the top in health data science, stakeholders will have to find each other and work together. Once everyone is on board, data science knows no bounds!
Mark Hicken is Vice President of Strategy for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). With more than 20 years of experience in the company, Mark leads a cross-functional team that drives Janssen’s continued growth across the region, in close collaboration with the local operating companies. On the 28th of October, Mark presented a talk during an online event hosted by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) ‘Start at the End: Thinking Commercial during Discovery and Development’ (recording available here). Following the webinar, Mark shared some additional insights and advice with us.
Every year, the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research is granted to a scientist who embodies the eponymous man’s dedication to his patients and unfailing curiosity and passion for scientific progress. The 2020 winner of this prestigious award is Dr. Lewis Cantley, who discovered the family of PI3K enzymes, thereby increasing our understanding of a wide range of diseases including cancer and diabetes. Nearly 30 years on from this seminal discovery, Dr. Cantley’s research has resulted in more precise cancer therapies that have saved patient lives, making him a true champion of science.
Johnson & Johnson Celebrates Role of Scientists In Society with 2020 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research, Part of the Champions of Science® Initiative - Lewis Cantley, Ph.D. Named 2020 Award Winner for the Discovery of PI3K Enzyme and its Role in Wide Range of Diseases from Diabetes to Cancer
Pharmaceutical company Janssen Pharmaceutica and gin distillery Filliers Distillery are making disinfectant hand gel from Sunday. They will distribute it among the Belgian hospitals.
Franz-Ulrich Hartl and Arthur Horwich have been named the winners of the 2019 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. The award will be granted for their revolutionary insights into chaperone-mediated protein folding, a key process for biological function. The winners will share their insights during the annual award ceremony, which will be celebrated both at the Janssen Beerse Campus in Belgium on September 27 and at the New York Academy of Sciences in the US on October 3, providing attendees with a unique opportunity to meet two of the world’s leading scientists.
Janssen Pharmaceutica have signed a renewal of the innovation charter with Ghent University (UGent) and Ghent University Hospital (UZ Gent). The move is part of an initiative to share more knowledge and expertise between industry and academia, stimulating scientific progress and reaching patients faster than ever before.