From (Bio)Analytical Laboratories to Clinical Trial: Technology Accelerating the Discovery of New Drugs and Therapies
The development of new therapies for incurable and hard-to-treat diseases is one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine. Although scientific progress is accelerating, the process from initial (bio)analytic laboratory research to clinical trials can take decades. Even with massive investments in research and development, only a small fraction of drugs make it to market. According to statistics, out of 10,000 potential drugs developed in laboratories, only one will eventually become commercially available, highlighting the complexity and uncertainty of these processes.
Challenges in Drug Discovery and Development
Despite significant scientific advancements, researchers face numerous obstacles in discovering new drugs—ranging from identifying target molecules and developing cellular models to complex and time-consuming laboratory testing. High costs and a high failure rate present additional challenges.
To successfully develop new drugs, it is essential to accelerate research processes, reduce testing time, and improve analytical precision. Innovations in laboratory (bio)analytics and new technologies are key factors in overcoming these challenges, making drug development faster and more efficient.
Innovations in Laboratory Analytics Accelerating Research
The Sartorius BioAnalytics portfolio of products supports various laboratory processes, from disease modeling and therapy development to optimizing cell line development, ensuring that products meet the real needs of users by making experiments faster and simpler, for example, through automated data collection and analysis.
"The iQue®, Octet®, Incucyte®, and CellCelector systems address key challenges faced by our users: reducing the likelihood of failure while cutting research time and costs. In other words, they accelerate the search for promising drug candidates."
Kimberly Wicklund, Head of Product Management Lab Products & Services Division
Precise Isolation of Cells and Cell Lines Technology
For many biological drugs, the next step is to identify and develop a cell line that can produce the potential therapy. The CellCelector® can analyze a large number of cloned cell lines based on their productivity, growth rate, or other characteristics, helping researchers select the most promising candidates for further development. Importantly, it can precisely identify clones derived from a single cell, ensuring 100% monoclonality—an essential prerequisite for developing cell lines that function as "biological factories" for specific therapeutic proteins.
Continuous Cell Monitoring and Analysis Technology
At the beginning of the research process, the Incucyte® live-cell analysis system helps scientists better understand disease mechanisms. Placed inside an incubator, the system continuously monitors and analyzes cellular responses 24/7, tracking growth, migration, size, shape changes, and reactions to potential drugs. This technology has enabled targeted molecule research within live cells. For example, in the development of therapies against the coronavirus, one of the main research targets was the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
Flow Cytometry for Faster Identification of Promising Candidates
After identifying a target molecule, researchers analyze large compound libraries to find those that interact with the target and may have therapeutic effects. This process requires testing a vast number of cell or particle samples treated with different compounds. The iQue®3 system speeds up the identification of promising candidates thanks to the industry's fastest sample analysis time and automated data analysis. This technology enables the screening of thousands of compounds in just a few hours instead of days.
Screening and Characterizing Biomolecular Interactions Device
Once a potential drug candidate has been identified, it must be further optimized. Octet® is the industry standard for kinetic characterization, enabling protein interaction analysis, real-time measurement of interactions between a compound and its target molecule, and analysis of binding affinity and kinetics. These factors are critical for determining optimal drug dosing and effectiveness.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in (Bio)Analytics
Traditional image processing is a complex skill that requires years of experience. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) assists researchers in analyzing complex data, such as cell recognition and characterization, significantly accelerating and simplifying the research process.
With AI-driven machine learning methods, algorithms can be trained to recognize cells and their characteristics, reducing the need for manual work and increasing accuracy. These AI modules are integrated into Incucyte®, allowing scientists to reliably identify live and dead cells from the very first day of use, enabling faster analysis and more precise research results.
"With AI, we can develop products that harness—and even surpass—the incredible pattern recognition and visual processing capabilities of the human brain. I have always been fascinated when scientists looked at cell images on a screen, pointed to one, and said, 'That's the one I'm interested in!' I would then spend hours developing image processing algorithms to replicate that selection—sometimes without success... But now, with AI, we can create products that use the remarkable power of the human brain and even exceed it."
Kimberly Wicklund, Head of Product Management Lab Products & Services Division
The Future of Bioanalytics
For scientists facing daily challenges in data analysis and cell isolation, innovations like those developed by Sartorius can mean the difference between success and failure in discovering new therapies. Our mission is to enable researchers to focus on what matters most: solving major medical challenges.
In the future of bioanalytics, technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced cellular models are expected to continue evolving, offering even more precise and faster research tools. This could lead to faster drug discovery and a more personalized approach to patient treatment.
If you would like to learn more about BioAnalytic solutions that can accelerate your research, feel free to fill out the inquiry form or contact us via email at sartorius@sartorius.hr.