Pharmaceutical Outsourcing: Discovery and Preclinical Services is the first in a series on pharmaceutical outsourcing. This first book is written for all practitioners in the pharmaceutical and biotech world and is about managing projects in drug discovery and preclinical development. The purpose envisioned by the authors and editors is to provide an understanding of how outsourcing works from the perspective of sponsor, internal customer, service provider, outsourcing service marketplace, principal investigator, project leader, and consultant.

The authors of this book and the companies they represent hail from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia, underscoring the fact that drug discovery is an international effort. The scope of the businesses covered include the one-person consulting company through to a sponsor among the largest in the industry.

Written in the styles unique to each author, the reader will enjoy getting into the minds of the writer. Our intention is to provide a story for each aspect of the process as you move from target validation, genomic profiling, screening, medicinal chemistry, modeling and informatics, safety evaluation, therapeutic target confirmation, through to protecting the results of the research, the intellectual property.

Emerging trends in drug discovery support a rapidly growing business model in outsourcing, the virtual pharma company. In recognition of this important element are several success stories and learnings on arbitraging risks in discovery. Outsourcing provides the ultimate flexibility in managing projects that may quickly grow, progress in directions unanticipated, or fail early.

Last but not least, this book provides insights in working with companies outside your region, with business cultures unfamiliar or unknown. Relationship building is about understanding your sponsor or customer in their cultural space and being able to establish the rapport for clear and open communications. Priceless!