The virtuous technology cycle concept and its application in next-generation sequencing.

External access to scientific technology plays an increasingly important part in pharmaceutical R&D. One advantage of accessing technology externally is the avoidance of costs associated with purchase and the reduced time required for developing new methods; in addition, access to external scientific expertise can be beneficial. However, few conceptual frameworks exist for achieving an optimal mix of internal and external technology access. In this review, we describe the virtuous technology cycle (VTC) concept and exemplify its application to next-generation sequencing (NGS). Based on selected examples, we show that the VTC concept can greatly enhance the number of technologies accessed and thus significantly increase flexibility and efficiency in drug discovery. We also discuss the challenges of externally accessing NGS technologies.