- Sundeep Mallipudi
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What Clients Should Look for in an Integrated Drug Discovery Partner
As discovery programs become more complex, choosing the right Integrated Drug Discovery (IDD) partner has become a strategic decision. The key question is not whether the partner has all the capabilities, but whether it can integrate them to support better scientific decisions.
As Mabi Jaleel, Head of Biology, explained during the webinar, IDD should be about “integrated intelligence rather than integrated services” and bring biology, chemistry, DMPK, translational science, data analytics, AI/ML and project management together to accelerate the path from target to clinical candidate. Other key considerations include the following:
1. Look beyond capability breadth
A strong IDD partner must certainly have broad capabilities across medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK, toxicology, data science, and project management. But breadth alone is not enough. Vamsi Madgula Head of DMPK, emphasized that clients should look at the “depth of scientific expertise and available talent pool.” A partner may offer many services, but the team must have the scientific maturity to design, execute, interpret, and adapt studies as the program evolves.
For example, in a standalone outsourcing model, clients may evaluate a CRO based on whether the provider can run a specific assay or synthesize a set of compounds. In an IDD model, clients need to evaluate whether the partner can help make the right scientific calls across the entire discovery journey.
2. Assess whether the partner can work as one team
One of the biggest misconceptions about IDD is that integration happens automatically when multiple functions are housed under one roof. The webinar made it clear that this is not the case.
Lakshmi Iyer, Head of Project Management, stated that Integrated Drug Discovery is “not a co-location of all the capabilities under one roof” but about how people work together as one team. She highlighted the importance of monitoring the DMTA cycle: Design, Make, Test, and Analyze, because each cycle generates data that informs the next molecular design.
For clients, this means the partner should demonstrate how chemistry, biology, DMPK, toxicology, computational chemistry, and project management interact in real time. The team should not simply hand over data from one function to another. Instead, the team should review data together, identify risks early, and use cross-functional insight to guide the next step.
3. Evaluate the quality of cross-functional interpretation
Clients often face a common frustration: multiple CROs generate data, but no one connects the dots across functions. This issue was raised directly by an audience member during the webinar, who described the challenge of working with CROs that lack cross-functional discussion and comprehensive interpretation of findings.
Santosh Kulkarni, Head of Chemistry, explained that for complex programs, solutions may not come only from chemistry. The right IDD team must bring the right level of expertise together, trigger scientific discussions, review data collectively, and interpret findings across functions.
This is one of the most important evaluation criteria for clients. A true IDD partner should not only provide data. The partner should explain what the data means, what risks are emerging, and what decisions should follow.
Jaleel added that when data needs to be correlated across PK/PD, in vitro, or in vivo studies, DMPK scientists, biologists, and in vivo scientists should sit together, interpret the results, discuss any differences, and then go back to the client with a consolidated view.
4. Look for strong scientific leadership
In an integrated program, clients need access to scientific leaders who can think beyond functional execution. Madgula emphasized that IDD teams must be able to think strategically, identify risks, de-risk early, and make the right calls for the program.
This is particularly important for complex modalities and challenging targets. Discovery programs rarely move in a straight line. Assays may need to be modified, new methodologies may be required, and program strategy may need to change based on emerging data.
5. Prioritize translational biology and disease understanding
For biology-led discovery programs, the ability to connect preclinical findings with human disease relevance is a major differentiator.
Jaleel explained that clients should assess whether an IDD partner can help “de-risk and accelerate the path from target to clinical candidate.” She emphasized the importance of disease biology, target expertise, translational biology, clinically relevant biomarkers, patient-derived cells and tissues, and early PK/PD relationships.
This is important because one of the major causes of clinical attrition is poor translation from preclinical models to humans. Therefore, clients should look for a partner that can move beyond routine assay execution and help design screening funnels that include translational assays, biomarker readouts, and disease-relevant biology.
6. Examine project governance
Iyer described the project manager as an integrator, not just a coordinator. She explained that project managers connect different functions, manage dependencies, communicate risks and issues, and ensure a seamless flow of data and workflow. She also highlighted the value of weekly or biweekly updates, monthly governance calls, collaboration KPIs, productivity metrics, and quarterly governance reviews.
Clients should therefore ask:
- Is there a defined governance model?
- Are there regular scientific review meetings?
- Is there a risk register?
- How are decisions documented?
- How are dependencies across chemistry, biology, DMPK, compound management, and logistics tracked?
- How quickly are issues escalated?
7. Look for flexibility
Modern discovery programs, especially those involving new modalities, require flexibility. Madgula explained that with changing modalities, new assays, modified methodologies, and new ways of presenting data may be required. Because of this, communication between the customer and the integrated partner must remain open.
Jaleel also emphasized flexibility as one of Sai’s differentiators, noting that a partner must be able to align with client needs as projects evolve and as new scientific findings emerge.
For clients, this means choosing a partner that does not follow a rigid checklist approach. The right partner should be able to adjust assay strategy, screening funnels, DMPK plans, chemistry design, and translational approaches as the program develops.
8. Ensure transparency
Transparency through data and tracking tools is another important factor in selecting an IDD partner. Iyer highlighted Sai’s use of Sai Synth, a tool used to track compound progress at the compound level through the DMTA cycle. She explained that this allows the team, and potentially the client, to see the stage of each compound across chemistry, biology, and DMPK workflows.
For clients, such systems matter because they create visibility, accountability, and better planning.
Choose a partner that delivers decisions and not just experiments
When evaluating an Integrated Drug Discovery partner, clients should look beyond infrastructure and service lists. The real differentiators are scientific depth, cross-functional interpretation, strong leadership, translational thinking, governance, transparency, flexibility and the ability to work as one team.
For clients the real measure of a strong IDD partner is a team that can help make better decisions faster and move discovery programs closer to the clinic.
Watch the On- demand webinar here- https://sailife.com/webinars/