The project used InforSense’s workflow architecture to create a secure data transfer platform that connects five remote sites, combining GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) existing network with analytical systems provided by two external organisations.
InforSense said that the model the team have created will enable drugmakers to safely transfer financially sensitive information to third party analysis specialists, helping reduce both costs and development timelines.
The approach shows that formally in-house suites of analysis and annotation tools that can be effectively distributed across a number of organisations without any loss of security and integrity.
The work was part funded by the European Commission’s €11m ($14.8m) SIMDAT Information Society programme, and fits with the wider effort to promote a collaborative mechanism to expedite drug development in the region.
Other collaborators on the project included internet security specialist NEC Laboratories, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), drug developer BioFocus DPI, the Universite Libre de Bruxelles and Germany’s IT innovation and Fraunhofer institute for algorithms and scientific computing (SCAI).
Rob Gill, GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) head of Biology Domain Architecture, said that the project had allowed the firm to securely test all the components needed to support the virtual outsourcing of data in a secure environment.
Gill explained that: “Pharmaceutical companies are moving away from the fortress mentality, which has been prevalent for many years, towards an ecosystem of companies working together without geographical or technical boundaries.”
He added that the project’s combination of advanced internet security, InforSense’s workflow management and the third-party analysis capabilities increases the flexibility and efficiency of the development process.
InforSense’s research director, Moustafa Ghanem, agreed commenting that such “virtual network” collaborations reflected the continuing efforts of big pharma to slim down and focus on core competencies in the increasingly competitive market.
He explained that “We are seeing a growing interest in tools and software to support the technical and business process aspects of virtual organisations.”
“Companies such as GSH are looking at outsourcing many aspects of their business and InforSense is providing them with an infrastructure to do so,” added Ghanem.