Given the mounting evidence that the gut microbiome impacts disease development and progression, drug efficacy, and even the metabolism or toxicity profile of a drug, it's not surprising that researchers are focusing greater attention on the microbiome's role in nearly every disease state. In this podcast hosted by Drug Discovery World, John Couse, Vice President of Scientific Services at Taconic Biosciences, discusses how the microbiome is transforming drug discovery and reshaping preclinical research. Listeners will learn about the therapeutic areas where the gut microbiome is having the greatest impact and why even blockbuster immune checkpoint inhibitors can see reduced clinical outcomes due to the effects of the patient's microbiome. Dr. Couse also reviews the resources and capabilities that pharmaceutical and biotech companies need to study the microbiome's impact on their drug candidates:
"Studying the microbiome's impact is complex...It requires a certain level of expertise and understanding of the biology, but it's also a unique set of capabilities that fall outside the standard biomedical research laboratory or animal facility. This is usually the limiting factor for many research organizations that may want to enter into microbiome studies or at a minimum introduce studies around the impact of the microbiome on their particular area."
Listen Now on Drug Discovery World's website.