1 00:00:00,100 --> 00:00:03,100 ♪ [music] ♪ 2 00:00:07,664 --> 00:00:13,960 - [Kerry] CRISPR and NGS are still emerging disruptive technologies, I'd say, in the diagnostics area. 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:22,950 They are currently making waves and we've seen a lot of new manufacturers of kits come along for these tests. 4 00:00:22,950 --> 00:00:24,416 So, they're kind of paving the way. 5 00:00:24,416 --> 00:00:28,860 - [Chris] I think they are making diagnostics more effective. 6 00:00:28,860 --> 00:00:30,745 They are making diagnostics more efficient. 7 00:00:30,745 --> 00:00:36,568 They're really making, I think, headway in establishing themselves as key technologies 8 00:00:36,568 --> 00:00:37,964 in the diagnostics landscape. 9 00:00:37,964 --> 00:00:42,321 - I think one of the big advantages of CRISPR is that they strive to be a point of care or kind of 10 00:00:42,321 --> 00:00:44,185 on-the-job type of test. 11 00:00:44,185 --> 00:00:48,052 - Well, so I think it is growing. 12 00:00:48,052 --> 00:00:54,704 It is becoming, like, more accessible, more affordable, and I think it has probably, you know, 13 00:00:54,704 --> 00:00:59,533 been one of the biggest changes and the most significant, I think, 14 00:00:59,533 --> 00:01:02,503 advancements in diagnostics of late. 15 00:01:02,503 --> 00:01:10,242 The main advantage of PCR-based diagnostics is their accuracy and the fact that they are amenable 16 00:01:10,242 --> 00:01:11,554 to high throughput. 17 00:01:11,554 --> 00:01:19,494 So, for the past 20 years, PCR has been the gold standard of micro-diagnostics. 18 00:01:19,494 --> 00:01:28,403 The challenges, I think, that are going to visit the likes of CRISPR and NGS is that the market has 19 00:01:28,403 --> 00:01:29,362 to accept them. 20 00:01:29,362 --> 00:01:38,343 So, there has to be an entry point where they are going to receive funding, they're going to receive 21 00:01:38,343 --> 00:01:47,768 government support, but they're also going to be defined and to be considered as robust as well. 22 00:01:47,768 --> 00:01:54,152 - So, I think as far as challenges of CRISPR and next-generation sequencing-based diagnostics is, 23 00:01:54,152 --> 00:01:55,829 for one thing, that they are brand new. 24 00:01:55,829 --> 00:02:03,200 And getting a brand new test that has not been seen as frequently on the market can be challenging. 25 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,200 ♪ [music] ♪ 26 00:02:10,323 --> 00:02:18,213 Where Merck helps those manufacturers wanting to develop what we would call disruptive technologies and 27 00:02:18,213 --> 00:02:24,364 diagnostics is the fact that we have, you know, decades of experience in helping bring 28 00:02:24,364 --> 00:02:25,811 assays to market. 29 00:02:25,811 --> 00:02:32,735 There are some unique challenges with disruptive technologies, but we do have large teams of scientists 30 00:02:32,735 --> 00:02:37,628 and process development scientists, R&D, project managers, experts in manufacturing and 31 00:02:37,628 --> 00:02:44,625 operations that have been through the FDA submissions and regulations with a number 32 00:02:44,625 --> 00:02:48,000 of customers within our field. 33 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:54,973 And so having that prior experience of how to navigate clinical submissions and the FDA is key. 34 00:02:54,973 --> 00:03:02,247 Having a company that you can work with and depend on and have those resources is extremely important. 35 00:03:02,247 --> 00:03:07,666 To innovate and research and development ourselves, and so we have a lot of experience with developing 36 00:03:07,666 --> 00:03:10,100 CRISPR assays ourselves. 37 00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:17,820 So, we have a team of scientist who is very well versed and educated in CRISPR technology and, you know, 38 00:03:17,820 --> 00:03:21,900 can help really the development phase of some of these assays. 39 00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:30,721 - We are just trying to listen and understand our customers' needs at the R&D stage through to scale 40 00:03:30,721 --> 00:03:36,117 up through to manufacturing and even distribution if we can help in that respect as well. 41 00:03:36,117 --> 00:03:39,208 - I think, again, you know, the advantages that Merck provides is that we are 42 00:03:39,208 --> 00:03:42,496 familiar with both technologies, CRISPR and NGS. 43 00:03:42,496 --> 00:03:48,327 You know, we do have reagents that work well and go into each of those workflows and, you know, 44 00:03:48,327 --> 00:03:53,471 we're always looking to expand our product portfolio. 45 00:03:53,471 --> 00:03:58,694 And a lot of that comes with the voice of customers, which in our case are diagnostic manufacturers 46 00:03:58,694 --> 00:04:00,779 telling us what they need. 47 00:04:00,779 --> 00:04:07,400 And so, we're evolving with the market here at Merck to help our customers.