The Hive is an Elsevier R&D Solutions collaboration with a group of biotech and pharmaceutical start-up companies, which aims to promote innovation in early drug discovery and development.
“Nowadays, more than half of the industry’s drug discoveries originate outside the walls of the traditional pharma companies,” Christy Wilson, Senior Director, Pharma and Biotech Segment, Elsevier R&D Solutions, told Outsourcing-Pharma.com.
“Many companies supplement their in-house R&D efforts with external innovations – from open innovation initiatives, pharma and biotech start-ups, or from academia – because there is so much breakthrough research occurring outside their walls.”
Up to five firms will be chosen in 2016, all of whom will gain complimentary access to Elsevier’s information solutions suite, including user training and support.
The startups will also gain increased visibility with their work across the pharma R&D community.
“Pharma and biotech start-ups are a hotbed for innovative approaches and ideas, and we believe it is very important to give them a platform to promote their work to the wider pharma R&D community and enable others to learn from their approaches to overcoming research bottlenecks and challenges,” explained Wilson.
“Not to mention, traditional pharma companies often offer these innovative start-ups the capability to further develop and commercialize their innovations – ultimately helping to facilitate bringing start-ups’ key discoveries to the patients and the medical community,” she added.
According to Wilson, the best candidates for The Hive are biotech and pharmaceutical start-ups and other small companies who are engaged in advancing early stage research, with at least three scientists on staff, ideally.
Candidates are assessed on various criteria and may apply themselves or be nominated by someone else. Rolling enrollment began on April 20th 2016.
“Through projects such as The Hive, we aim to empower the innovative organizations and individuals that are working to address areas of unmet medical need,” said Wilson. “Whether it’s through creating awareness and community engagement, or through offering access to our services, we want to continue to create, nurture and develop initiatives that will drive successful pharmaceutical research and that ultimately will improve the lives of patients.”