Modernizing Drug Development: Nanocrine's Breakthrough Role

As published in the SV March 2025 Newsletter

The process of developing a new drug is long and complicated, taking many years to complete. It comes with challenges like long timelines, high costs, and a high risk of failure. However, new technologies and smarter strategies aim to obsolete the traditional biopharma R&D methods that result in failing too late (high sunk cost) or failing too early (false negative, missed opportunity).

Drug discovery is a complex, multi-stage process, from identifying biological targets to preclinical testing. The key steps include:

1. Target Identification: Researchers identify biological molecules linked to diseases

2. Hit Discovery: High-throughput screening finds compounds that interact with targets

3. Lead Optimization: Compounds are refined for efficacy and safety through in vitro testing

4. Preclinical Development: Safety and efficacy are tested in lab models before human trials

   
   

The path from initial discovery to a marketable drug faces major challenges:

• Long Timelines: Drug development can take 10–15 years

• High Costs: The price tag exceeds $1 billion per drug

• High Failure Rates: Only 10% of candidates move from preclinical to clinical trials

  
  

Nanocrine's Role in Enhancing Drug Discovery

Nanocrine, a biotech company based in Frederick, Maryland, is revolutionizing the drug discovery process by addressing some of these challenges. Founded to modernize technologies for biopharma assay development, Nanocrine offers innovative solutions to interact with biological processes that are relevant to disease, in brand new ways. Nanocrine’s Plasmonic imaging chips enable real-time imaging of cellular activity, helping researchers better understand how cells behave and interact with drugs. This deeper understanding can lead to smarter decisions, saving time and money in drug development. Using Nanocrine's technology will be critical to overcome challenges and get new treatments to market more quickly, supporting the industry’s move towards faster and more effective drug discovery.

Please contact Mitchell Hauser for more information or to arrange a meeting with Patrick Calhoun, Nanocrine's President and Chief Science Officer.