Discovery

The goal of Discovery Research is to identify new molecular compounds and biologics and to recommend drug candidates for development and importantly to advance compounds through to Proof of Concept in man.  For this reason, Discovery and Early Clinical Research and Experimental Medicine (ECREM – see below) are in one line organization within SPRI. These efforts enable the company to maintain a strong pipeline. Using the most advanced and innovative science and drug discovery technologies, research is conducted in various therapeutic areas, with special attention given to finding novel compounds that address unmet medical needs. The goal is to produce first and/or best-in-class compounds for our pipeline

Genomics and informatics help define and evaluate new targets in the body that can be stimulated or inhibited to combat a disease. Additionally, these approaches enable scientists in this area to identify and characterize potential biomarkers, which provide more focused insights into the performance of compounds.  High-throughput screening uses robotics and other technologies to conduct rapid tests on hundreds of thousands of compounds to quickly identify which candidate compounds will perform a desired activity, such as inhibiting a specific biochemical process.

Schering-Plough has also invested in structural chemistry, including X-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy.