Leveraging Lead Optimization: Telemetry and Isolated Heart Models are a Natural Fit in Tough Economic Climate
We’ve recently returned from the 2009 Society of Toxicology meeting in Baltimore. As usual, it was refreshing to catch up with friends, reconnect with previous co-workers, and get the current pulse of our clients.
Other than the scientific topics at hand, the buzz of the convention hall was focused on the current global economic state and the ramifications of continuing job losses and shrinking budgets throughout R&D. Not exactly the catalyst of uplifting discussion. Although difficult to quantify, I did feel some improvement in the attitude and outlook of the people who stopped by compared to our last major trade show in November 2008.
One of our Southern California clients, who attended both meetings, captured it perfectly during a discussion at the CorDynamics booth. She noted, “The end of last year (2008) felt dour and somber.” We both agreed that things seemed to have calmed since then, but the universal feeling was that the current year will be a volatile one.
In addition to this uncertainty, we heard of 2009 R&D budgets that are either flat or have been cut versus previous years. At past meetings attendees’ inquiries were focused on timelines and deliverables, while this year the talk was on maximizing their outsourcing budgets.
At CorDynamics, our inherently affordable cardiovascular models – from the isolated heart to anesthetized and conscious telemetry in a variety of paradigms — provide unparalleled value at precisely the right time. Now, perhaps more than ever, it’s vital to select the right compounds to move forward.
Over the last six months, we’ve seen an increase in our earlier de-risking studies, namely isolated heart and screening telemetry assessments. While meeting deadlines is a critical part of our business (for example, in March we started multiple monkey telemetry studies with just three weeks lead time), getting feedback from our clients such as ‘your pricing was by far the best I’ve gotten’ [Outsourcing Manager, Mid-US client] remains just as important, especially in 2009.
The meeting ended on a high note for the CorDynamics team. We look forward to our upcoming exhibitions in September at Strasbourg, France (2009 Safety Pharmacology Society) and in November at Palm Springs, USA (2009 American College of Toxicology).
Regards,
Dr. Michael Gralinski, CorDynamics CEO