"Virtual man" may ease drug R&D woes

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PARIS (Reuters) - New computing technologies and the evolution of a "virtual man" to predict the effects of new drugs before they enter clinical trials could transform the fortunes of pharmaceutical research, a report said on Friday.

By 2020, the drug research and development process may be shortened by two thirds, clinical trial costs slashed and productivity increased dramatically, said the report from consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

"Pharma needs a faster, more predictive way of testing molecules before they go into humans," said Steve Arlington of PwC. In particular, the concept of a "virtual man" could evolve from linking emerging technologies, he said.

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Big Pharma profits are in jeopardy since patents on many drugs launched in the 1990s will expire in the next few years and only four of the world's top 10 companies have enough new products to fill the looming sales gap, PwC said.

Improving innovation and boosting productivity is an issue taking centre stage at this week's annual meeting of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.

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