By Mike Fannon.
During my long tenure with Human Genome Sciences (from late 1992 through 2005), I had the good fortune to participate in a biotech startup from the ground floor. It was a real learning experience to work for an entrepreneurial company staking a claim on the genomic frontier in the mid 1990s.
It quickly became clear that modern biological research, such as high-volume gene sequencing, is really an information science. Data management systems are integral to every phase of sample preparation, data capture, interpretation, analysis and presentation. Our data and software were the key deliverable to pharmaceutical partners and enabled access to a biorepository of millions of cDNA clones. In addition to general IT functions, I became the vice president in charge of HGS’s high-volume gene sequencing department, responsible for “wet lab” functions and customer relationship management with HGS’s genomic partners.
As HGS progressed into product development, clinical trial management, and regulatory filings, it became apparent that systems to support drug development activities lacked a common set of operating principles. As a result, we (and others in the industry) had to settle for a collection of expensive, independent point solutions — a stark contrast to the integrated supply chain approach we successfully engineered for HGS’s gene sequencing business.
Our work at BioIT Solutions is designed to address many of the issues I observed as the CIO of a growing biopharmaceutical company. We take an organization-wide view and focus on business value — providing a custom fit for your scientific, operations and business information management needs without the disadvantages of an in-house software development project. We engineer adaptability into our solutions, delivering systems that easily extend to new functions, accommodate changes in technology, and evolve along with business and scientific practices.
Our customers find the BioIT Solutions approach to be productive and engaging, with results that improve quality, reduce cycle times, increase capacity, and enhance their customer’s experience.