Technology search
Big Pharma engages SAL tech scouts to address tough internal challenges
Client overview
Strategic Allies Ltd (SAL) was approached by a Pharmaceutical Multinational to address their “cleanroom monitoring challenge.” The company had identified that their reliance on traditional methods, such as settle plates, for microbial monitoring was creating a significant bottleneck in their supply chain. These methods were not only prone to human error but also challenging to manage in terms of data, leading to gaps in detecting and monitoring contamination trends. The client sought to push the envelope on sourcing knowledge, technologies, and expertise to solve this immediate challenge.
The search
SAL employed its Specify-Search-Select-Secure methodology to tackle the client’s challenge. Initial discussions and a site visit helped define the need for a technology solution that would allow rapid detection, identification, and quantification of viable contaminating microorganisms suitable for a cleanroom manufacturing environment. This led to the search for an all-encompassing rapid microbial method (RMM).
The search specification was used to engage SAL’s international intermediary network. Potential solution providers were contacted and interviewed to assess the strength of their technology, IP situation, technology readiness level (TRL), and other significant issues. The search uncovered a diverse range of technologies, including some from outside the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. For instance, a software technology used to detect oil content in olives was found to be transferable to microbial detection. Similarly, “electronic noses” from the food industry were identified as potential solutions for cleanroom environments.
... I do not believe that our company could have achieved this in-house”.
Outcome
The engagement with SAL provided the pharmaceutical company with valuable insights into the current state of microbiological control, from “ready now” technologies to those at a proof of concept level.
SAL categorised 22 opportunities based on the fundamental property exploited by the technology, presenting novel and near-industrial readiness technologies for each category.
The search revealed that an all-encompassing technology that detects, quantifies, and identifies viable contaminant microbes was still a sought-after innovation in the industry at the time.