Beantown Biotech
Flexibility, Expertise, and Location—The CRO Trifecta

Outsourcing drug discovery to contract research organizations (CRO) brings a multitude of advantages to pharma and biotech companies. A broader spectrum of expertise and resources can help streamline the discovery process, accelerate drug development and increase the prospects of success. To ensure a seamless exchange of data and transparent communication during these processes, cultivating a collaborative and dynamic partnership is imperative.

Beantown Biotech, a boutique-sized CRO, understands this requirement and forms an active relationship with its biotech clients. Specializing in drug discovery, it offers an extensive suite of services spanning exploratory biology and screening to preclinical services. The CRO has an impressive arsenal of instrumentation essential to all biotechs working in drug discovery and beyond.

“We are not just another CRO or vendor; our clients view us as their partners. They rely on our knowledge, infrastructure, and specialized approach that goes beyond business transactions to meet their drug discovery requirements,” says Jim Breunig, CEO and Founder of Beantown Biotech.

Beantown Biotech allows its clients to perform “Research Without Overhead”, the CRO’s motto. Clients can allocate resources to research rather than overhead costs; Lab space, office space and equipment, to name a few.

Proximity and Convenience

Situated outside of Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, the epicenter of life sciences innovation and research, Beantown Biotech's strategic location gives it invaluable advantages. The proximity to world-class institutions, the abundance of talent, a thriving biotech ecosystem, and a supportive business environment contribute to its ability to drive innovation, make influential partnerships, and remain at the forefront of life sciences research and development. The strategic location also helps the company and its clients overcome logistics and supply chain challenges in the post-COVID world.

The CRO's 6,000-square-foot facility offers a conducive environment for in-person site visits and face-to-face interactions. This setting allows clients to engage directly with the team of scientists actively involved in their projects. Direct communication channels foster collaboration and curtail misunderstandings.

“We believe robust science thrives on open dialogue, accountability, and dependable results. To that end, we always encourage clients to discuss results, observe our cutting-edge methods, and communicate new needs,” says Jim Breunig, CEO and Founder of Beantown Biotech.

This environment also facilitates real-time troubleshooting and contributes to efficient and timesensitive research outcomes. Clients benefit from the convenience of on-site sample drop-off, which expedites the processing of materials by eliminating delays associated with shipment. Beantown Biotech also provides same-day shipping services and readily accessible courier options to streamline the research being performed.

While the local presence adds value to its services, Beantown Biotech is equally flexible in accommodating virtual and online meetings.

A Commitment to Flexibility

The all-around capabilities of Beantown Biotech make it an ideal partner for biotechnology companies seeking to propel their early-stage drug candidates toward optimal outcomes for research projects.

Providing data-driven insights and expert guidance, Beantown Biotech fortifies a client’s market presence, bolsters their strategic positioning, and drives sustainable growth, positioning them for long-term success. This is especially crucial for startups during formative stages to fortify their journey with funding or identify strategic acquisition opportunities and orchestrate seamless transitions into the public domain.

Unlike most players in this field, it has the bandwidth to accommodate projects of any size and level of complexity. Clients can engage with Beantown Biotech in a project-based or monthly fee structure, depending on their requirements.

“When clients come to us with a blueprint that needs prompt execution, we take on a project-based approach,” says Rachel L. Mendes, Senior Director of Business Development and Strategy, Beantown Biotech. “We also provide full-time assistance to clients who require help with multiple assays. A flexible and dedicated partner on a monthly full-time equivalent (FTE) basis is highly advantageous and cost-effective for them.”

The company realizes that in the drug discovery landscape, projects can suddenly pause, pivot, or stop. Beantown Biotech's operational flexibility emerges as a great help here. It enables them to seamlessly change the direction of the ongoing project and dedicate resources to alternative programs with minimal disruption.

Beantown is also known for its rapid legal documentation (CDAs and MSAs), SOW generation, quoting, scheduling meetings, and responsiveness which are imperative to shortening timelines to initiate client research and project timelines overall. This allows less time for business operations and more time for what is most important—research.

A Comprehensive Array of Services

Its services encompass a wide array of screening platforms for cell-based, biochemical, and biophysical characterization, critical for drug discovery research, including assay development for target validation, routine screening assays for hit ID through, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization, and mechanism of action studies. It employs a multitude of assay techniques for measuring cell viability and proliferation, measuring drug effects on target binding, inhibition, activation, and degradation. The Beantown Biotech team has extensive expertise with assay technologies utilized throughout the drug discovery process, including CellTiter-Glo^®, HiBiT^®, NanoBRET^®, AlphaLISA^®, HTRF^®, Meso Scale Discovery^® biomarker assays, ELISA and quantitative PCR. Another highly utilized instrument is Monolith, an alternative to SPR used to measure protein and compound binding affinities in solution for biophysical characterization. Using Jess Western, Beantown Biotech can run automated Western blots with quantitative results and higher sample throughput.

For cell health and complex functional assays in a more physiologically relevant environment, Beantown Biotech utilizes the IncuCyte^® for live cell imaging. High-content analysis for phenotypic characterization is facilitated through its high-throughput microplate imager, Operetta^®, which is capable of acquiring, analyzing, and managing fluorescence, brightfield, and digital phase contrast images. The newest capability at Beantown Biotech is flow cytometry, and it rounds out the essential instrumentation in demand among its drug discovery clients.

The company's wealth of experience extends to small molecules, including protein degraders, and across various other modalities, including antibodies, oligos, enzymes, and vaccines. While its standard practice involves the use of 96-well and 384-well plates, it harbors the flexibility to work with larger or smaller formats as required.

A trusted drug discovery partner across multiple disciplines, Beantown Biotech's expertise encompasses a diverse array of therapeutic areas, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, Cancer, Diabetes, and Autoimmune and Inflammatory diseases.

Combining Technology and Human Expertise

Helmed by a leadership team with an impressive cumulative experience of over seventy years in the industry, Beantown Biotech offers a distinctive dimension to its services. This wealth of expertise, coupled with the technical skillsets of its scientists, forms a strong foundation for its capabilities. It also conducts extensive training programs to maintain the team’s proficiency by keeping them current, well-prepared, and poised to tackle the most intricate tasks.

Beantown Biotech also integrates the latest instruments and cutting-edge techniques into its operational processes. It utilizes dedicated software to check the quality of interpreted data and present the outcomes to clients in an easily comprehensible format. This is rare in the industry and cements Beantown Biotech’s position as a trusted partner for biotech companies.

Committed to a strong customer-centric ethos, the company fosters long-term engagement with clients. The CRO's smaller size also guarantees personalized interactions for prompt decision-making and heightened responsiveness. Rapid legal and quoting unheard of in the industry, shorten timelines, and result in ease and swiftness in decision-making. Together, these factors enable it to deliver outstanding value to the customer, living up to Beantown Biotech’s motto—Research without Overhead.

Offering a wide variety of in vitro and cell-based screening platforms, Beantown Biotech is dedicated to supporting client endeavors, acting as their down-the-hall lab. It continues to deliver on its promise of rigorous science, transparent communication, and timely data reporting.