Merck and Ingenuity Systems have announced the global license of Ingenuity Pathways Analysis.
The pharmaceutical manufacturing giant Merck has announced an agreement with Ingenuity Systems to utilize the Ingenuity Pathways Analysis application in combination with Merck’s advanced Molecular Profiling tools, technologies and databases.
The multi-year agreement allows Merck scientists to use Ingenuity Systems’ software and extensive database of biological networks and pathways attained from public literature. Merck will be hoping that Ingenuity Systems’ application software and database will offer its scientists immediate access to public and proprietary biological network data.
The goal of this resource is to support Merck’s scientists with the best information available, and tools to drive innovative pharmaceutical research. The Ingenuity Pathways Analysis application certainly should improve the productivity of Merck’s R&D process. In addition, the application will be integrated with Merck’s bioinformatics systems so that scientists can easily transverse these resources, improving workflow and streamlining genomic and proteomic analysis. By providing its scientists with a pathways capability on a global level, Merck will be hoping to enhance its drug development efforts.
The global pharmaceutical industry is facing a deepening productivity crisis as patent expiries, tougher regulatory conditions and declining sales margins combine to negatively impact year-on-year-growth. Short of radical reorganization, pharmaceutical companies have a limited range of options available to them to increase profitability.
One of these is to improve R&D productivity by reducing costs and/or improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the drug development process. Merck has recognized the importance of continued investment in the area, maintaining a strong research focus and keeping smaller competitors at arm’s length. If Ingenuity’s software and database facilities can go some way to aiding Merck in bulking up its pipeline, the deal could prove invaluable.
