The transition from early scientific discovery to preclinical research is one of the most critical decision points in pharmaceutical value creation. In this phase, it is determined whether a scientific hypothesis can be transformed into a development ready, financeable and commercially relevant project with long term perspective.
Why this phase is decisive
Suboptimal decisions made at this stage have long lasting scientific, regulatory and economic consequences.
Company perspective
For research-driven companies, the early phase is often characterized by:
- High scientific excellence
- Limited resources
- Uncertainty regarding the optimal development strategy
The core challenge is to translate scientific substance into a structured development logic without prematurely creating unnecessary cost of complexity.
Investor perspective
For investors, this phase determines whether:
- A hypothesis is translationally robust enough
- Preclinical programs are regulatorily viable
- Later clinical and commercial perspectives are prepared in a plausible and credible manner
Investability does not result from data volume, but from stringent logic, clear assumptions and robust decision pathways.
Typical risks and wrong decisions
In practice, we frequently observe at this stage:
- Preclinical programs without a clear hypothesis for clinical relevance
- Research and development strategies that fail to anticipate regulatory requirements
- Early studies that cannot later be translated into clinical or commercial concepts
- Lack of prioritization across targets, indications or developments
- Excessive separations between science, development and later commercialization
These risks cannot be addressed by additional research alone, but require structured decision logic.
What Excellere delivers in practice
Excellere supports companies and investors in strategically, regulatorily and commercially contextualizing early research. Our services include, among others:
- Structuring scientific and preclinical research logic
- Assessment of targets, indications and mechanisms of action with respect to later clinical and commercial viablity
- Positioning of preclinical programs against regulatory expectations such as IND or CTA logic
- Identification of relevant decision gates and derivation of clear development options
The objective is to create early clarity on which development paths are meaningful and sustainable.
Integrated perspective instead of isolated optimization
Our work at this stage is deliberately integrated. We do not assess early research and development decisions in isolation, but in the interplay of:
- Scientific evidence
- Regulatory reality
- Clinical feasibility
- Commercial perspective
This approach helps prevent programs from failing later at the interfaces between research, development, regulation and the market.
Value for companies and investors
For companies
- Clear prioritization of early development decisions
- Reduced misallocation of resources
- Better preparation for investor or partner discussions
For investors
- Greater transparency on development risks
- Robust decision foundations in early phases
- Realistic assessment of development and value creation potential
- Clarity on whether later clinical and commercial perspectives are plausibly prepared
How we work
Project are lead by Excellere's managing partners and complemented, depending on the question, by our advisor and partner network. We work:
- Decision-oriented rather than presentation-driven
- Integrated with management, founders and investors
- Without delegation to junior teams
Our ambition is to de-risk development decisions, not to overcomplicate them.
When early decisions need substance
Especially in early research phases, it is not the amount of data that determines success, but the quality of decisions. Let us jointly assess whether and how Excellere can support you in structuring the transition from early discovery to preclinical development in a qay that is investable, robust and future-proof.
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