Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How we work
There are four members of the TherapeutAix team. Does this mean that I will end up paying more for your services than I would with an individual consultant?
No. At TherapeutAix, we have overlapping and complementary expertise. This means that we can draw from our collective knowledge and experience and provide broad output. Because of this, we sometimes require less time compared to an individual consultant who may be familiar with some, but not all, of the subject matter areas of your project. We also apply our own internal challenge, bringing multiple perspectives to bear.
When we decide to have more than one team member join a set activity (e.g. a conference call), we will only charge for a single attendee. Should you request more than one attendee (maybe because more than one functional area requires cover) then we will charge for both attendees.
In many cases, we will quote a fee for a set package of work so the cost to you is fixed regardless of time taken.
With our transparent and flexible charging system you are always in control.
Do you support clients which have projects in non-fibrotic disease areas?
Yes. We have applied and special expertise in fibrotic disease, e.g. NASH or IPF. However, this is building on our wealth of knowledge of drug discovery and development strategies which can be applied to a broad range of disease areas. Identifying gaps and building knowledge (for example, in human target validation, PK/PD, translational and clinical strategies) – the TherapeutAix approach – is equally important and applicable within and outside of fibrotic disease.
In addition, the team has direct experience in projects across many therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, inflammation, immunology, neuroscience and pain, respiratory, tissue repair, and urology. Across the diverse modalities, inhalation projects also stand out as an area where we have extensive, hands-on expertise.
What can I expect from your free-of-charge review and how does it work for you?
We believe that our free-of-charge review benefits the potential client as much as us. As a client, it allows you to get to know us, experience the interaction, and get a feeling for what we can deliver. In many cases, we identify “quick wins” where the client can address issues without the need for further immediate engagement.
For us, the free-of-charge project review is an excellent way to introduce our way of thinking and highlight where we can add value. We must be doing something right, since over 90% of our clients contract us for engagements thereafter. (And in cases where during the review we notice that we do not have the right kind of expertise, we will decline the work and, if possible, point the client to someone from our external network).
Learn more about our free initial review here.
I do not have a big budget for consultancy, should I still contact you?
Yes. We offer flexible contracting models, ranging from hourly rates within an agreed scope to fixed-fee projects. We are happy to outline what’s possible within a given budget, and work within this.
Contact us to learn more about our costs and services.
Science
How do you maintain your disease area knowledge?
We love what we do! Working in research and development, we constantly read the literature e.g around drug development and selected indications (e.g. fibrotic disease, and areas of focus of long-time clients), and apply the latest thinking in our work with project teams. In addition to staying on top of what is published, we actively participate with talks and poster presentations at national and international conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals. Lastly, our network partners also have a strong focus on science.
Working together
What are the advantages of the network approach?
We are building a bespoke network for clients that specifically supports the need for drug development programmes. You can expect less overhead (meaning lower cost and increased flexibility), customer-focussed solutions, and quality work. We have put our existing network partners together based on their consistent quality and experience of working together. Of course, we can also blend into a supplier network you might already have, work with your preferred providers, or identify ideal partners for your project.
Do you receive a payment from your network partners on recommendation, introduction or contracting?
No. Our network is built based on quality work and high collaboration standards. Because of this we enjoy working with them – and we bet you would as well!
What are the advantages in engaging TherapeutAix to support the selection of service providers?
Our network partners are preselected, deliver benchmarked data, and we have established interfaces. All of this supports the process of getting work done and trusting the output. However, TherapeutAix can also blend in into existing networks, and put data from service providers into perspective (e.g. through project management, or by ensuring a “line of sight” to the project goal).
As we work with many clients, on many projects, we get to see many data sets, good and bad. Therefore, we have built an understanding of which providers generate consistent high quality data. Of course, there will be occasions when the data quality may not be as hoped. Since we have seen many data sets, we are able to identify the not-so-good and discuss the reasons with the provider. This is difficult if you are seeing only a single data set.
Why do you advocate a workshop approach to project review?
Our experience, and client feedback, is that it works! The TherapeutAix workshop approach engages complete project teams, is cost-effective, delivers new perspectives, and identifies solutions which otherwise are difficult to identify. While workshops are optimally conducted face-to-face, our own virtual team working model puts us in a good position to adapt to circumstances where a virtual session may be the only option.