Making medicinal chemistry more effective--application of Lean Sigma to improve processes, speed and quality.
The pharmaceutical industry, particularly the small molecule domain, faces unprecedented challenges of escalating costs, high attrition as well as increasing competitive pressure from other companies and from new treatment modes such as biological products. In other industries, process improvement approaches, such as Lean Sigma, have delivered benefits in speed, quality and cost of delivery. Examining the medicinal chemistry contributions to the iterative improvement process of design-make-test-analyse from a Lean Sigma perspective revealed that major improvements could be made. Thus, the cycle times of synthesis, as well as compound analysis and purification, were reduced dramatically. Improvements focused on team, rather than individual, performance. These new ways of working have consequences for staff engagement, goals, rewards and motivation, which are also discussed.
Andersson
Shalini
S
Medicinal Chemistry, AstraZeneca R&D Mölndal, SE-431 83 Mölndal, Sweden.
Armstrong
Alan
A
Björe
Annika
A
Bowker
Sue
S
Chapman
Steve
S
Davies
Rob
R
Donald
Craig
C
Egner
Bryan
B
Elebring
Thomas
T
Holmqvist
Sara
S
Inghardt
Tord
T
Johannesson
Petra
P
Johansson
Magnus
M
Johnstone
Craig
C
Kemmitt
Paul
P
Kihlberg
Jan
J
Korsgren
Pernilla
P
Lemurell
Malin
M
Moore
Jane
J
Pettersson
Jonas A
JA
Pointon
Helen
H
Pontén
Fritiof
F
Schofield
Paul
P
Selmi
Nidhal
N
Whittamore
Paul
P
D000818:Animals; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000592:standards; D011786:Quality Control; D013997:Time Factors
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations