, Columnist
Big Pharma Learns to Share
Their deal to share molecule libraries should only be a start.
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AstraZeneca and Sanofi announced a first-of-its-kind deal Thursday night to share more than 200,000 chemical compounds in an effort to speed up drug development. This is encouraging for a highly competitive industry, averse to sharing a piece of gum without a royalty fee tied to breath freshness, let alone compound libraries that were once prized possessions. No money will change hands. Each firm can develop molecules in the other's library with no future obligation.
It's a good first step, and may even speed up drug development. Other competitors should follow suit, and hopefully think even bigger.