Probability of success for drug mechanisms
with genetic support is 2.6 times greater than those without,
according to new study
NEW
YORK, April 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Genscience
LLC, a company applying genetic evidence and proprietary
platforms for drug discovery and development and an affiliate
of Deerfield Management Company ("Deerfield"), a healthcare investment firm,
today announced a new study that shows incorporating genetic
evidence into drug design significantly increases the probability
of successful development by up to 2.6 times compared to when
genetic evidence is absent. The new study appeared in the
April 17, 2024 issue of the
peer-reviewed journal Nature.¹ The study also documents
new findings regarding how different characteristics of genetic
evidence impact drug development success.
"These findings further demonstrate that genetic evidence is the
most effective means to improve drug discovery and development
success rates and R&D efficiency," said Matt Nelson, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of
Genscience and Vice President of Genetics and Genomics, Deerfield
Discovery and Development (3DC). "This new data helps illustrate
the power of genetic evidence to enrich our understanding of the
relationship between a potential drug target and the disease we
seek to treat."
The new study builds on pivotal work Nelson published in 2015
² and documents which genetic associations are more likely to
differentiate successful from unsuccessful drug mechanisms across
18 therapy areas and among five discovery and development phases
from preclinical to launched. Nelson and his colleagues found that
the probability of success for drug mechanisms backed by genetic
evidence is 2.6 times higher than those lacking such support, with
a four-fold increase in hematology and metabolic therapy areas.
"This study provides a basis for optimism, that we can improve
the success rate in drug discovery," said Eric Vallabh Minikel, PhD, first author of the
study, and senior group leader at the Broad Institute. "Human
genetics can point us to the root molecular causes of disease and
enable us to design fundamentally disease-modifying therapies."
Nelson acknowledges that although many questions remain about
the application and effectiveness of human genetics in drug
discovery, the field of genetics identifies causal relationships
between genes and disease in humans, providing a growing
opportunity for novel target identification and improving
indication selection for existing drugs and drug candidates.
Increasing emphasis on drug mechanisms with supporting genetic
evidence is expected to increase success rates and lower the cost
of drug discovery and development.
"The implications of this study are profound, offering a
promising genetic-informed approach for biotechnology and
pharmaceutical companies to improve their drug development
strategies and increase the likelihood of bringing life-saving
medications to market," said James
Flynn, Managing Partner, Deerfield Management. "These
findings also demonstrate the meaningful discoveries that advance
health and clinical trials that Deerfield, 3DC and Genscience are committed to
supporting."
1Minikel EV, Painter JL, Dong CC, Nelson MR. Refining
the impact of genetic evidence on clinical success.
Nature. 2024. DOI:
10.1038/s41586-024-07316-0.
2Nelson MR, Tipney H, Painter JL, et al. The support of
human genetic evidence for approved drug
indications. Nat Genet.
2015;47(8):856-860. doi:10.1038/ng.3314
About Genscience
Genscience, spun out of Deerfield
Management Company and founded by Matthew
R. Nelson, PhD, in 2023, is a platform and services company,
developing state-of-the science genetics capabilities for the
purpose of supporting drug discovery and development across disease
areas.
About Deerfield Management
Deerfield is an investment management firm
committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information
and philanthropy. The Firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to
connect people, capital, ideas and technology in bold,
collaborative and inclusive ways. For more information, visit
www.deerfield.com.
Genscience contact:
Matthew R.
Nelson, PhD
mnelson@genscience.com
Deerfield
contact:
Rachel Pelletier
rpelletier@apcoworldwide.com
(440) 409-6274
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SOURCE Deerfield Management