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Smart planner: radically accelerating R&D to combat a biothreat
Author(s) -
Chadwick Andrew T.,
Edwards Roger A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.20310
Subject(s) - planner , risk analysis (engineering) , context (archaeology) , contingency plan , contingency , identification (biology) , computer science , visualization , management science , operations research , business , process management , engineering , computer security , artificial intelligence , biology , linguistics , philosophy , paleontology , botany
Conventional R&D processes are ill‐suited to biothreats and biothreat preparation because they are intended to support risk‐averse decisions for patients and are designed for longer expected development times. The Smart Planner tool is a risk visualization framework developed to help contingency and R&D planners quantify and balance risk, uncertainty, and time. The tool incorporates the following capabilities: (1) visualization of the risks of inaction; (2) identification of critical areas of uncertainty where new information can really make a difference; (3) decision support for (i) development and treatment options and (ii) optimization of tradeoffs given various timescales. The tool facilitates alignment of research planners' acceptance of risks with policy‐makers' strategic views of benefits in the context of apparent or overt threats. Policy and ethical implications for application of the tool are also discussed. Drug Dev Res 70:335–348, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.