São Paulo School addresses challenges of innovating in medical drug development

Researchers and students from several countries discuss issues such as a faster transition from molecule discovery to clinical trials and drug manufacturing.

By Maria Fernanda Ziegler  |  Agência FAPESP – The processes involved in drug development, from discovery to commercialization, are full of challenges. Among them are complex issues relating both to basic science, such as understanding a disease and how to halt its progression, and to the practicalities of ensuring that the novel drug is marketable.

These and similarly challenging issues were discussed by 80 graduate students from various parts of the world at the São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Medicines: from Target to Market, held on March 16-23, 2018, at the University of São Paulo’s Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine (FMRP-USP) in Brazil.

The 50-hour event covered the entire drug development process, from ideas and projects to commercialization. “We addressed the entire story, from molecule discovery and target identification all the way to the new drug’s arrival on the shelves of retailers,” said Claudio M. Costa-Neto, a professor in FMRP-USP’s Biochemistry & Immunology Department and organizer of the event.

In addition to discussing matters associated with the discovery and characterization of a molecule, as well as the initial biochemical and pharmacological tests, the School also covered preclinical and clinical trials, protecting intellectual property, creating startups, and regulation.

Supported by FAPESP under its São Paulo School of Advanced Science (SPSAS) program, the event took place concurrently with the tenth edition of the Summer School on Medicines (SSM10). Previous editions were held in Toulouse (France), Barcelona (Spain) and Montreal (Canada).

“Brazil’s scientific and economic capabilities enrich the Summer School on Medicines and foster integration among researchers from various parts of the world. The difference this year compared with previous editions is the more extensive program, with more days and more speakers, making it a genuinely international school,” said Rémy Poupot, a professor at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse and a member of the SSM10 Scientific & Organizing Committee. 

According to Costa-Neto, the event was designed to facilitate the combined discussion of market-related issues as well as basic research. Brazil has a well-established and qualitatively advanced track record in drug discovery and clinical research but does too little to build on the results of basic research for the purpose of preclinical and clinical trial activities.

“The School fosters networking among highly qualified researchers and at the same time creates local know-how, which helps expand a field that’s still incipient in Brazil,” he said.

The event also featured presentations on innovation-related topics. “We focused on translational science, on the passage from basic research to practical application,” Costa-Neto noted. “Six of our speakers are or have been researchers and founded startups. That’s an excellent way to illustrate for these young researchers the different opportunities research can bring.”

One of the speakers was Jordi Quintana, a researcher at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona and head of the drug discovery platform in the city’s Science Park. 

“Industry now works ever more closely with academia because of the complex nature of the drug discovery and development process,” Quintana said. “It’s important to bring together people who know about the first part of the process [basic science] and people with expertise in the second part [application], in which industry has more know-how.”

In his presentation to the event, Quintana explained how the drug discovery process takes place in industry and academia, stressing the need to combine research findings from both communities in order to make drug development more efficient. Quintana also took part in a panel session in which he spoke about his experience in shifting between these two worlds.

Vanesa Nozal García, a PhD student at Madrid’s Biological Research Center (CIB-CSIC), said the School gave her an outstanding opportunity to learn from the speakers and network for future collaborations. Her main research interests have to do with drugs to block progression of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

“I don’t consider myself ready to create my own startup. I prefer basic science, although I believe collaborating with specialists in this area would be very good for my research project,” she said.

This is a good time to work on drug development, according to most attendees interviewed at the School. “There’s venture capital for good ideas, there’s a market, and people today better understand the risk of starting a new business,” said Denis DeBlois, a professor at the University of Montreal (Canada) and a member of the SSM10 Scientific & Organizing Committee.

More information: summerschoolonmedicines10.fmrp.usp.br.