EP 37

Open Source Drug Discovery 2.0

The current system of drug discovery is slow and expensive, with the cost of developing a new drug doubling every nine years. Open Source Drug Discovery 2.0 (OSDD2) is a potential solution, using a combined sociotechnical and economic approach to democratize early-stage research and make it more efficient. The OSDD2 model is designed to tackle the failures of the first wave of open source drug discovery, including lack of funding, unclear intellectual property, and no clear path to market.

Open Source Drug DiscoveryEroom's LawRelay ModelHybrid IP ModelIncentives

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Key Concepts

Eroom's Law

The cost of developing a new drug doubles every nine years.
This is in contrast to Moore's Law, which states that the cost of computing power halves every two years.

Open Source Drug Discovery

The first wave of open source drug discovery was successful in attracting thousands of scientists, but failed due to lack of funding, unclear intellectual property, and no clear path to market.
The second wave, OSDD2, is designed to tackle these failures and provide a more efficient and sustainable approach to drug discovery.

Relay Model

The relay model involves a hybrid approach, with open evidence, open tooling, and open IP.
The model uses a managing body to select a team to form a dedicated spinout company to take the project forward.

Hybrid IP Model

The hybrid IP model involves disclosing core ideas publicly and putting them on a ledger.
The model then uses a managing body to select a team to form a dedicated spinout company to take the project forward, with exclusive licensing for late-stage development.

Incentives

The OSDD2 model includes clear incentives for participation, including cash-backed milestone incentives and micro-royalties.
The model also includes academic credit, with citable DOIs and co-authorship on resulting publications.

Episode Summary

check_circleThe current system of drug discovery is slow and expensive, with the cost of developing a new drug doubling every nine years.
check_circleOpen Source Drug Discovery 2.0 (OSDD2) is a potential solution, using a combined sociotechnical and economic approach to democratize early-stage research and make it more efficient.
check_circleThe OSDD2 model is designed to tackle the failures of the first wave of open source drug discovery, including lack of funding, unclear intellectual property, and no clear path to market.
check_circleThe model uses a relay approach, with three pillars: open evidence, open tooling, and open IP.
check_circleOpen evidence involves sharing all data, including negative results, to prevent duplication of effort and reduce waste.
check_circleOpen tooling involves making analytic workflows, AI models, and simulation environments open source, to level the playing field and allow researchers to participate in cutting-edge work.
check_circleOpen IP involves using a hybrid model, where core ideas are disclosed publicly and put on a ledger, and then a managing body selects a team to form a dedicated spinout company to take the project forward.
check_circleThe OSDD2 model includes clear incentives for participation, including cash-backed milestone incentives and micro-royalties.
check_circleThe model also includes a governance structure, with transparency and radical transparency, to ensure that projects stay focused on real patient needs.
check_circleThe OSDD2 model is not intended to replace big pharma, but to complement the existing ecosystem, by de-risking the early stages of discovery and providing a more capital-efficient way for pharma companies to fill their pipelines.

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