Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
research. Thus, one of the most basic needs in any company is for a drug
target reference, an encyclopaedia providing key facts concerning these
important entities. In the majority of cases 'target' can of course, be either
a single protein or some multimeric form such as a complex, protein-
protein interaction or pharmacological grouping such as 'calcium
channels' [2]. Consequently, the encyclopedia should include all proteins
(whether or not they were established targets) and known multiprotein
targets from humans and other key organisms. Although there are a
number of sites on the internet that provide some form of summary
information in this space (e.g. Wikipedia [3], Ensembl [4], GeneCards
[5], EntrezGene [6]), none are particularly tuned to presenting the
information most relevant for drug discovery users. Furthermore, such
systems do not incorporate historical company-internal data, clearly
something of high value when assessing discovery projects. Indeed, in
large companies working on 50+ new targets per year, the ability to track
the target portfolio and associated assets (milestones, endpoints, reagents,
etc.) is vital. Targets are not unique to one disease area and access to
compounds, clones, cell-lines and reagents from existing projects can
rapidly accelerate new studies. More importantly, access to existing data
on safety, chemical matter quality, pathways/mechanisms and biomarkers
can 'make or break' a new idea. Although this is often diffi cult for any
employee, it is particularly daunting for new colleagues lacking the IT
system knowledge and people networks often required to fi nd this
material. Thus, the justifi cation for a universal protein/target portal at
Pfi zer was substantial, forming an important component in an overall
research information strategy.
17.1.1 Design choices
In 2010, Pfi zer informaticians sought to design a replacement for legacy
protein/target information systems within the company. Right from the
start it was agreed that the next system should not merely be a cosmetic
update, but address the future needs of the evolving research organisation.
We therefore engaged in a series of interviews across the company,
consulting colleagues with a diverse set of job functions, experience and
grades. Rather than focusing on software tools, the interviews centred
around user needs and asked questions such as:
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What data and information do you personally use in your target
research?
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