Discovery Research
FROM THE EDITOR
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![GettyImages-494676501]( "The Death Of A Dogma: David Baltimore And Lessons For Modern Drug Discovery")
The Death Of A Dogma: David Baltimore And Lessons For Modern Drug DiscoveryNobel laureate, David Baltimore passed away at 87 years old, on September 6, 2025. He was widely regarded as a scientific visionary who at just 37, co-discovered reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that flipped molecular biology on its head by showing that genetic information could flow from RNA back to DNA, not just the other way around.
Trust us. You'll want to read this editorial from Chief Editor Louis Garguilo, who was (gently) reminded he hadn't visited the subject of tech transfer in a while. He answers the questions both sponsors and CDMOs ask to gain the trust to make a tech transfer work for both sides.
Let's return to minutes before Donald Trump became president in January, to a time when the FDA was near perfect. That’s what one would assume today listening to those up in arms over the agency. Of course, the reality was quite different. Chief Editor Louis Garguilo helps regain perspective.
It’s rare when a CDMO’s restructuring leads to thoughts about national health policy. But as Chief Editor Louis Garguilo wrote his recent editorial on Lonza’s decision to focus heavily on biologics, it brought to mind a government policy that may have contributed to the company’s restructuring. No, it's not tariffs.
The biotech industry is often described in grand dichotomies such as innovator vs. generic, small vs. large molecule, or clinical vs. commercial. These differentiators influence development and manufacturing, CDMO selection and outsourcing strategies. There are also nuanced pairings, such as mRNA vs. RNAi.
ARTICLES
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![GettyImages-1663374966-lab-microscope-mask-research-study]( "Advance Your Oncology Research With Discovery Services")
Advance Your Oncology Research With Discovery ServicesFind discovery oncology solutions that consist of in vitro assessments, in vivo pharmacology services, in vivo imaging technologies and focal radiation capabilities to support your oncology research programs.
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![GettyImages-1294339649 drug development, cleanroom]( "Random & Semi-Targeted Integration In Cell Line Development")
Random & Semi-Targeted Integration In Cell Line DevelopmentCompare random and semi-targeted integration strategies for stable cell line development, highlighting their impact on expression consistency, scalability, and regulatory considerations.
SERVICES AND PRODUCTS
With deep expertise and state-of-the-art infrastructure, Aragen partners with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology innovators, and academic institutions to accelerate discovery and bring forward impactful therapies.
Experience customized and validated flow cytometry (FCM) biomarkers and panels for your clinical research on a global scale. Learn how FCM can enhance your research and help develop the panels you need.
ATUM is building on DNA2.0's reputation for rapid, reliable and accurate DNA synthesis. Using our proprietary GeneGPS® and VectorGPS® platforms we design constructs optimized to express in your system, whether that's a single gene in E. coli, a metabolic pathway in yeast or a complex bispecific antibody in mammalian cells.
Explore the comprehensive support and expertise available for your drug discovery process.
Apollo™ is an innovative platform that empowers you with real-time access to study data, milestones, documents, and program planning tools.
SUPPLIER PROFILES
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UPM Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
UPM Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a Baltimore-based, independent drug development and contract manufacturer serving the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
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Aptuit
Aptuit is a pharmaceutical services company that delivers early to mid-phase drug development solutions by applying scientific excellence, outstanding service and a team of some of the foremost scientific professionals in the industry.
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Aptuit, Inc. - drug development programs, pharmaceutical service Aptuit is a pharmaceutical service company that conducts research, development and manufacturing on a contract basis for both large and small innovators.
OUTSOURCED PHARMA NEWS
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Results Of Nanoform Collaborative Study To Be Presented At U.S. Drug Delivery & Formulation (DDF) Summit9/11/2025
Nanoform, a leading nanoparticle medicine performance-enhancing company, announced that key findings from two studies conducted in collaboration between Nanoform and Takeda will be presented at the 15th American Drug Delivery & Formulation Summit (DDF) in Boston, Mass., on September 16, 2025, at 09:10 – 09:40 in Room 1.
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Cellectar Biosciences And ITM Enter Supply Agreement For GMP-Grade Actinium-2259/11/2025
Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLRB, “Cellectar”), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of cancer, and ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE (ITM), a leading radiopharmaceutical biotech company, today announced a supply agreement for Actinium-225 (Ac-225). The agreement will support the clinical development of Cellectar’s actinium-labeled phospholipid ether (PLE) radiopharmaceutical candidates, including its Phase 1-ready compound, CLR 121225, for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Cytiva And WhiteLab Genomics Team Up To Use AI To Accelerate Cell Line Development9/10/2025
Cytiva, a Danaher company and a global leader in the life sciences industry, and WhiteLab Genomics, a techbio company specializing in artificial intelligence for genomic medicine research and development, announced a collaboration to accelerate the development of next-generation genomic medicines.
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Symeres Acquires DGr Pharma To Enhance Regulatory Expertise And Broaden Its Biopharma Capabilities9/10/2025
Symeres, a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO), announces the acquisition of DGr Pharma, a drug development-focused consultancy, to expand its integrated early-stage drug development services and accelerate IND-enabling capabilities for biopharma clients.
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NKGen Biotech, Inc. Announces Completion Of NKMax Co., Ltd. Acquisition; Gains Full Control Of Global Manufacturing And Intellectual Property Assets9/9/2025
NKGen Biotech, Inc. (OTC: NKGN) (“NKGen” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative autologous and allogeneic natural killer (“NK”) cell therapeutics, today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of a majority equity stake in NKMax Co., Ltd. (“NKMax”), a Korean biotechnology company, out of bankruptcy.
ABOUT DRUG DISCOVERY RESESARCH
Outsourcing of drug discovery research helps pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies find targets that cause or lead to specific disease and the compounds that might prove effective in treating the disease. Chemical or biologic compounds are screened in the laboratory using specific assays and are tested against these targets to find leading drug candidates for further development. Many scientific approaches are now used to determine targets, typically receptors or enzymes, and obtain the lead compounds. These include the use of genomic and proteomic technology, synthetic chemistry, recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology, laboratory automation, and bioinformatics.
Drug discovery research is often broken into 4 stages: target identification & validation, lead identification, lead optimization, and candidate selection. Discovery research services offered by Contract Research Organizations (CRO) include molecular imaging, In Vitro Assays, disease models, transgenic creation/phenotype, genomic analysis, and population genetics in the target ID & validation stage. Lead identification services include HTS & secondary assays, assay development, protein expression systems, expression construct, in-silico screening, crystallography, computational modeling, and medicinal chemistry.
Testing during lead optimization includes efficacy models, discovery toxicity and pharmacology screening, DMPK, molecular & cellular analysis, bio analysis, transgenic studies, informatics, protein production & purification, hybridoma generation, rational drug design, and consulting services. Finally, candidate selection is accomplished using pathology and histopathology, safety models, formulation analysis, and process chemistry & scale-up.