IDEA Pharma, Mass Innovation Labs partner to reshape the development paradigm

Can the spirit of entrepreneurialism and impactful agile practices disrupt and improve upon the traditional models of scientific development? That question is at the heart of a new partnership between IDEA Pharma and Mass Innovation Labs. The two organiza­tions are now collaborating in an effort to stimulate innovation and address problems that established internal pharmaceutical models struggle to solve. The joint ven­ture, called SkunkWeeks—a variation of the phrase skunkworks, which is used to describe when teams in research and devel­opment or tech flee their traditional work confines to inspire outside-the-box thinking and innovation—launched in September.

Evolving priorities in behavioral and social science research

The Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (OBSSR), part of the NIH intends to shift the paradigm of research in behavioral and social sciences (BSS) and outlined its intentions in a new five-year strategic plan for fiscal years 2017 through 2021. Clinical trials professionals may find these key points of interest when designing and implementing future trials in BSS. The OBSSR Strategic Plan 2017-2021 lists three scientific priorities, William Riley, Ph.D., director of the OBSSR and associate director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at the NIH, explained. The first is to improve the synergy in these fields of research.

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