Chapter 670 Five billion, five months!
"Failed... failed?!" Han Chang's pupils shrank and his voice stuttered.
A senior researcher hurriedly said: "Doctor Xu, our experimental results are out. Blocking CDK20 really killed hepatocellular carcinoma!"
The others also wanted to defend themselves.
Xu Qiu had already helped them complete the first two steps of target selection. They only needed to verify whether the 121 targets clearly caused hepatocellular carcinoma and whether they could curb or even eliminate cancer by affecting the targets...
Now, the last two steps have also obtained clear experimental results. Why did Xu Qiu say it failed?
Xu Qiu picked out a few pieces of information and said: "You have done cross-analysis of epitope group, transcriptome, proteome, phosphorylation modification group and multiple spatial omics...
"The results are of course good, and they have clarified the drugability and novelty of CDK20.
"But, it is precisely because you are too focused on the relationship between CDK20 and hepatocellular carcinoma that you have overlooked one point - many data in the experiment show that CDK20 shows a trend of overexpression in many human tissues and tumor tissues!"
Everyone present was stunned.
Han Chang shuddered, and he quickly grabbed a few pieces of information in Xu Qiu's hand to check. The more he flipped through them, the uglier his expression became. In the end, he sighed and silently handed the information to the next person.
Soon, everyone in the laboratory fell silent.
They conducted countless analyses and studies on the CDK20 molecule, confirming that this target can be atomized by small molecules, and that it has not been subjected to a phase I clinical trial in the context of any disease in the past three years, nor is it a target of previously approved drugs -
This means that the CDK20 molecule is extremely novel, and if it succeeds, it will definitely be an original drug.
In the subsequent research, because Xu Qiu had screened it, and the pressure of completing the project in five months was hanging overhead, they have been trying to find the connection between the CDK20 molecule and hepatocellular carcinoma...
From here on, they made a serious mistake - at the stage when scientific research had just started, they actually assumed the conclusion that CDK20 was related to hepatocellular carcinoma. How could they not make mistakes by using the conclusion to reverse the process!
Xu Qiu gave a further explanation, saying: "From your previous research, a lot of evidence can show that CDK20 molecules may be overexpressed in a large number of tumor cell lines. Such as colorectal cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, etc., hepatocellular carcinoma is just one of them..."
For targeted drugs, the key is the word "target". If there are targets everywhere, it is equivalent to having no targets.
"CDK20 is a misunderstanding!" Han Chang broke out in a cold sweat.
If Xu Qiu hadn't reminded them to do their own research, they might have spent several years on this molecule, until they got nothing in the end!
This is the vision and ability of the person in charge of the scientific research project often determines the success or failure...With Xu Qiu's supervision, they can be ahead of countless steps in the early stage!
"Doctor Xu, I'm sorry..." Han Chang and others stood in place. They could have avoided this mistake, but they were too eager for success.
"Scientific research is to find a less wrong way from the wrong way, and finally gradually approach the truth. Continue to test the next target."
Xu Qiu waved his hand, turned around and went to other floors to guide the work of the remaining six teams.
…
The next day, Baiyun Pharmaceutical held a shareholders' meeting, at which it was unanimously approved to sell off excess sites and equipment to support Xu Qiu's research and development work.
However, as soon as this proposal was delivered to Xu Qiu's desk, it was rejected.
Five billion should be enough for five months.
"We have only spent 300 million in the past half month, but now is the least expensive stage of determining the target. The subsequent pairing of lead compounds and finding drug ratios may cost more than 100 million per day!" Linyi Finance Director analyzed.
"That's fine."
Xu Qiu is not worried about this... The cost of pairing lead compounds and drug ratios lies in continuous trial and error. Among 100,000 combinations, only 100 solutions with certain efficacy may be found, and there may be only three or four that are truly valuable for application.
But after mastering the god-level scientific research ability, Xu Qiu is able to reduce "100,000" to "1,000" or even "500".
One hundred of the five hundred are available, and three or four are clinically significant. This is an ability that all pharmaceutical companies envy!
The amount of money saved is an astronomical figure, which can be reduced from hundreds of millions of dollars a day to tens of millions.
The speed of research and development is also unimaginable...
...
A few days later, Fang Wenwen, who had just undergone a liver transplant, had stable signs.
But on the other hand, after removing 60% of his liver, Qiu Qinghu's condition was getting worse.
His operation was successful, but the sigmoid colon cancer was eroding his remaining vitality every moment, like a candle in the wind, which could go out at any time.
"Doctor Xu, I want to go to the ICU to see her." During a ward round on the fourth day after the operation, Qiu Qinghu suddenly struggled to get up and said while panting.
His face was twitching slightly, and the severe cancer pain had penetrated into his bones, torturing him so much that he could hardly fall asleep, but Qiu Qinghu still squeezed out a smile.
"Okay." Xu Qiu nodded.
Half an hour later, at Xu Qiu's instruction, Qiu Qinghu came to the intensive care unit wearing an isolation suit and saw Fang Wenwen lying on the bed.
The two held each other's hands through sterile gloves and wanted to hug, but the various tubes on Fang Wenwen's body and the isolation suit worn by Qiu Qinghu finally prevented them from doing so.
"Get better." Qiu Qinghu grinned and ordered.
Fang Wenwen lowered her head slightly and said, "Okay, I will definitely get better. We will go to the beach in the future. We live in Linhai City and we have never been to the beach..."
Qiu Qinghu smiled and waved to end this short visit.
The next morning, when the nurse was doing routine pre-shift nursing, she was horrified to find that Qiu Qinghu's bed was empty!
She searched the entire ward but there was no trace of him.
She quickly sent a message to the nursing department and called the ICU at the same time.
Soon, the ICU nurse hurried to Fang Wenwen's ward to check, but found nothing and came to the outside of the ICU again.
As a result, she saw a figure sitting in the distance at a glance.
He leaned against the corner of the ICU corridor. He was very tall, but his figure was sickly thin.
People nearby came and went, but no one paid much attention.
The world outside the ICU was the cruelest. It was not surprising that some people slept on the floor, sat on a chair all night, or used a few newspapers as a bed. In order to save the family members in the ICU money for a medicine, the people here tried every means.
But the ICU nurse recognized Qiu Qinghu, who was curled up in the corner with his sleeves gathered.
She rushed over and just as she was about to wake Qiu Qinghu up, a note fell from his exhausted palm.
