School of Biotechnology research can lead to cheaper drugs

The way drugs are now produced for the biopharmaceutical industry is by using biological cells contained in vats in manufacturing facilities. 

The cells are programmed to produce specific drugs through a variety of scientific strategies, including altering the genetic make-up of the cells. 

In the case of some drugs, such as insulin, scientists can produce a lot of product, but in many other cases, it is far harder to produce a drug. 

The days of block-buster drugs sold to millions worldwide is ending, and the traditional business model for the drug industry is now creaking. 

Industry is searching for ways to make a profit in the era of personalized medicine, where drugs are aimed at small groups or even individuals. 

Research 

This is why the research of Dr Finbarr O’Sullivan at the DCU School of Biotechnology – aimed at producing drugs cheaper – is important. 

“If you think of how cells make drugs being like a factory, what we are doing is looking to change machinery to make manufacturing easier.” 

“It is important for the biopharmaceutical sector in Ireland and globally, to find ways to make emerging drugs cheaper, and more efficiently.” 

“That is what we are working on, through making small alterations to the biological molecules that are crucial to how drugs are manufactured.” 

“We are working on making changes to a specific molecule we’ve identified that we believe is vital to how many drugs are made.” 

Dr O’Sullivan, along with Professor Martin Clynes were recently awarded €1,280,387.30 by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under its ‘Frontier for the Future’ programme for a research project entitled: "Investigating the Biological roles of Polyamines in Cho and Other Cells.” 

“This funding from SFI’s frontiers programme will help us to reduce the cost of drugs for us all,” said Dr O’Sullivan.