Certara Launches Secondary Intelligence™ Software to Predict Risk of Unwanted Side Effects of Drug Candidates Earlier

Rhea-AI Summary

Certara has launched its innovative Secondary Intelligence™ software, designed to predict off-target safety issues that could affect drug development. This software is the first of its kind, providing critical data on secondary pharmacology and enhancing decision-making for drug developers. With safety issues contributing to around 25% of candidate failures, this tool aims to improve the efficiency and precision of safety assessments, potentially accelerating clinical success. Certara serves over 1,650 clients in 61 countries, highlighting its significant role in the biopharmaceutical sector.

Positive

• Launch of Secondary Intelligence software enhances drug development efficiency.
• Software enables faster, more confident go/no-go decisions for drug candidates.
• Addresses significant safety issues, which account for ~25% of candidate attrition.
• Unique tool that offers curated and visualized secondary pharmacology analyses.

Negative

• None.

First-of-its-kind software predicts likelihood of off-target safety issues that could impede clinical progress

PRINCETON, N.J., May 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Certara, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERT), the global leader in biosimulation, today announced the launch of its Secondary Intelligence™ software, the first and only software that quantitatively predicts the risk of adverse effects and safety issues derived from secondary pharmacology that may impede the clinical development of a drug.

Safety issues account for approximately one quarter of candidate attrition in drug development projects. They can arise from either intended or unintended drug-receptor interactions, also known as primary or secondary pharmacology, respectively. Secondary pharmacological profiling is increasingly applied by drug developers and assessed by regulators to evaluate the potential of off-target effects of novel drugs. To address secondary pharmacology, researchers typically screen their small molecule compounds against a broad panel of off-target receptors. The challenge is interpreting the readouts to understand which receptor interactions will contribute to potential adverse effects in clinical development and post-marketing.

“While drug developers and regulators rely on secondary pharmacology analyses to support critical development decisions, the current process is inefficient, inconsistent, and often imprecise,” said William F. Feehery, Ph.D., CEO of Certara. “With our Secondary Intelligence software, drug developers will be able to make faster, more confident go/no go portfolio decisions earlier in the drug discovery and development process which will help to increase the likelihood of success in clinical trials.”

Certara’s Secondary Intelligence software is the only software that curates and visualizes secondary pharmacology analyses to evaluate safety liabilities against multiple receptors. It ranks the likelihood of off-target interaction during clinical use to make critical decisions on which compounds to progress or modify.

“We have unlocked the potential of secondary pharmacology data to provide automated intelligence so that safety pharmacologists and toxicologists can more confidently and consistently predict the off-target safety risks associated with their compounds faster and earlier,” said Will Redfern, Ph.D., Vice President, Quantitative Systems Toxicology & Safety at Certara. “Secondary Intelligence allows drug developers to de-risk their programs with evidence-based secondary pharmacology insights, which could save significant time, cost, and resources further down the line.”

To learn more about the Secondary Intelligence software and consulting services, please visit: https://www.certara.com/services/quantitative-systems-toxicology-safety/.

About Certara 

Certara accelerates medicines using biosimulation software and technology to transform traditional drug discovery and development. Its clients include more than 1,650 global biopharmaceutical companies, leading academic institutions, and key regulatory agencies across 61 countries.

Certara Contact
Jieun W. Choe
jieun.choe@certara.com

Investor Relations Contact:
David Deuchler
Gilmartin Group
ir@certara.com

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Tang, Ph.D.
Finn Partners
elizabeth.tang@finnpartners.com

FAQ

What is Certara's Secondary Intelligence software?

Certara's Secondary Intelligence software quantitatively predicts the risk of adverse effects in drug development due to secondary pharmacology.

How does Secondary Intelligence impact drug development?

The software enhances decision-making efficiency, allowing drug developers to make more informed go/no-go decisions earlier in the process.

What percentage of drug candidates fail due to safety issues?

Approximately 25% of drug candidates fail due to safety issues during development.

Which companies can benefit from Certara's software?

The software is designed for drug developers and is utilized by over 1,650 global biopharmaceutical companies.

Is there any competition for Secondary Intelligence software?

As of now, Certara's Secondary Intelligence is unique in its capability to predict off-target safety risks in drug development.