BIOTECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY JOIN TO SPEED DRUG DISCOVERY
The speed with which biotechnology companies can bring life-saving drugs and therapies to patients who need them depends greatly on swift and precise product discovery and development as well as prompt and effective review by regulatory authorities (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). According to BIO, the adoption of innovative electronic information technology by biotech companies can be a major catalyst for both processes.
On June 26, BIO 2001 attendees will hear high-tech industry leaders discuss data mining, knowledge management, collaboration and process management in a symposium entitled “e-Solutions for the Life Sciences.”
On June 27, FDA officials will participate in “The Emergence of the Electronic FDA.” Conference attendees will hear about the latest FDA initiatives on regulatory information access and automated processes. The symposium will also cover Internet-based electronic and computerized submissions, including practical case studies.
Major sponsors of “Converging Sciences” include Accenture, BioQ, IBM and Sun Microsystems. These companies will offer speakers and comprehensive exhibits tailored to the needs of the life sciences industry.
Accenture's Pharmaceuticals & Medical Products professionals workwith over 90 percent of Fortune's Global 500 pharmaceutical companies to create value in areas such as strategy development, research and development, finance, manufacturing, logistics, information technology, marketing and sales, and human resources.
Accenture is the world's leading provider of management andtechnology consulting services and solutions, with more than 70,000 people in 46 countries delivering a wide range of specialized capabilities and solutions to clients across all industries. Accenture operates globally with one common brand and business model designed to enable the company to serve its clients on a consistent basis around the world. Under its strategy, Accenture is building a network of businesses to meet the full range of any organization's needs -- consulting, technology, outsourcing, alliances and venture capital. The company generated revenues of $9.75 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000 and $5.71 billion for the six months ended February 28, 2001. Its home page is http://www.accenture.com.
BioQ is a San Diego area software company that has information technology specifically targeted to access regulatory information and imbed institutional knowledge management within the drug development process.
IBM is currently helping biotech and pharmaceutical research and development organizations optimize information technology to accelerate the development of new medical treatments. IBM Life Sciences brings together IBM resources, from research and e-business expertise to data and storage management and high-performance computing, to offer new solutions for the life sciences market, including biotechnology, genomic, e-health, pharmaceutical, and agri-science industries. IBM Life Sciences has announced several key strategic partnerships with leading life sciences companies, and is participating in the Interoperable Informatics Infrastructure Consortium (I3C).
Sun Microsystems will describe how they are helping to drive convergence across IT in life sciences through collaboration. They have already launched several programs including their Discovery Informatics & Life Sciences Program to help empower their partners; their Informatics Advisory Council to better understand the needs of the life sciences community; and helped establish the Interoperable Informatics Infrastructure Consortium (I3C). Their IT expertise is now being applied across the whole value chain of life sciences, from discovery all the way through to sales, marketing, and CRM.
BIO represents more than 950 biotechnology companies, academicinstitutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.
The organization is hosting BIO 2001, the world’s largest biotechnology event in San Diego, CA, June 24-27. More than 12,000 biotechnology industry leaders and executives from around the world are expected to gather, showcasing the latest advances in health care, agricultural, industrial and environmental management. BIO offers three days of business development and scientific sessions, ranging from “Creative Partnering Models for Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies” to “Genomics in the Information Age.” For more information, visit www.bio2001.org.
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