The ELF Honest Data Broker: informatics enabling public-private collaboration in a precompetitive arena

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical industry
• Drug discovery
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Precompetitive collaborations are emerging in the pharmaceutical sector.
• New informatics systems are needed to support these collaborations.
• The European Lead Factory (ELF) is a 30-partner precompetitive initiative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the ELF Honest Data Broker, a cloud-based informatics system.
• To enable the execution and management of a unique HTS screening and triage workflow.
• To balance intellectual property and scientific requirements of ELF partners.

Main Methods:

• Development of a cloud-based informatics system.
• Implementation of a unique HTS screening and triage workflow.
• Integration of scientific triage, fine-grained permissions, and management tools.

Main Results:

• The ELF Honest Data Broker provides essential tools for managing the collaborative workflow.
• The system facilitates the discovery of small molecule hits against novel biological targets.
• The informatics system successfully balances diverse partner requirements.

Conclusions:

• The ELF Honest Data Broker is a key informatics solution for precompetitive pharmaceutical research.
• This system supports efficient and secure data management in multi-partner drug discovery projects.
• The developed workflow and system can serve as a model for future collaborations.