Three Pillars of Early Drug Discovery Success Part 3: Assayability: A Practical Framework for Target Validation and Hit Identification

The first two papers in this three-part series established the foundational framework of early drug discovery: druggability, ligandability, and assayability, and explored why assayability is often the most consequential and underappreciated determinant of program success. This third (and final) white paper translates that strategic framework into practice.

Here we address the central operational question: How do you build assays that matter and drive confidence? Note that we do not ask how do you build assays that generate data. Any assay can generate data. The goal is to develop assays that generate reliable, interpretable, actionable scientific insight that drives confident decision-making from target validation through hit identification and into lead optimization.