Navigating the digital frontier of drug discovery - UCB’s ambition for a new age of value creation

In the rapidly evolving landscape of biopharma R&D, innovation remains paramount. As we face an unprecedented scale and complexity of healthcare and societal challenges, pharmaceutical R&D productivity has been stagnant at best over the past decade. Instead of heralding a new wave of productivity, the accelerated rate of technological innovation seems to have merely enabled the industry to keep pace and slow down additional productivity loss. Indeed, the proven impact from novel digital and technology solutions across the biopharma value chain seems to be tempered by the growing recognition of the intricate complexity of the pathobiology we are now able to uncover.

Hence, learning to capitalise on the full transformative potential of digital and technology innovation and its translation into future Patient Value, is fast becoming more than a competitive differentiator, but may soon constitute a license to play.
We find ourselves on the verge of a new biopharmaceutical R&D paradigm, based on the seamless integration of wet lab and in silico cycles and data-driven feedback loops. This future will also bring an increased intensity of collaboration and transversality – both within and beyond biopharma companies, including a broad and evolving ecosystem of potential technology partners.

New technology accelerates our capabilities, enhances precision, and optimizes efficiency, yet it also exposes previously unrecognized complexities, unveiling new avenues for scientific exploration. To fully realize this potential, we must remain open-minded, embracing these discoveries with a learning mindset that allows us to see opportunities where challenges once stood. This adaptability will be key to shaping the future of biopharma innovation and delivering transformative value to patients.