Combinatorial analysis - How much is it worth?

Combinatorial research methods are fundamental to the pharmaceutical and bi otechnology industries. Instead of making small numbers of compounds and th en testing them for desired attributes, researchers are producing and scree ning thousands of compounds at a time in automated research facilities. The result: more promising compounds, more commercial starts, and more financi al success. These same methods are beginning to be applied to other industr ies such as materials or chemicals. From a financial perspective, the poten tial benefit of combinatorial research is derived from two factors. increas ing speed to market and enabling premium pricing. By interviewing senior ma rket development personnel and modeling their responses. a quantitative fin ancial assessment was made of the value of combinatorial research methods.