Overview
This case study demonstrates Excelra’s expertise in cloud migration of R&D platform for drug discovery organizations. A small-molecule oncology and immunology company partnered with Excelra to modernize a legacy, Excel-based compound registration system into a secure, scalable, and collaborative cloud-native application using cloud enablement services and scientific informatics best practices.
Our client
The client is a drug discovery company focused on small-molecule oncology and immunology research. Their R&D workflows relied heavily on compound registration and tracking, making reliable scientific data management and collaboration essential for accelerating discovery and reducing operational risk.
Client’s challenge
The existing compound registration system was a desktop application built on Microsoft Excel with unoptimized code, limited functionality, and minimal security safeguards. Collaboration was restricted to a single operator, creating a critical single point of failure. The sluggish legacy system caused bottlenecks across R&D workflows and increased costs due to reliance on external tools. These limitations highlighted the urgent need for cloud migration of R&D platform to support scalable drug discovery operations.
Client’s goals
The client had two primary objectives: to replace the legacy database with a modern, cloud-based web application and to introduce advanced features such as improved search, compound comparison, import/export, remote collaboration, and user access management. Achieving secure and efficient cloud migration of R&D platform was central to enabling collaboration and future-ready discovery workflows.
Our approach
Excelra evaluated the existing application and mapped functional requirements across the broader R&D workflow. Given that compound data resided in Oracle, our architects proposed building the new system using Oracle APEX, enabling rapid low-code development and seamless database integration. This approach aligned with scientific application development for drug discovery and reduced delivery timelines by up to 70% while improving iteration speed.
An agile delivery model was followed, with continuous client feedback to ensure security frameworks, infrastructure configuration, and UI/UX design met real-world scientific needs. Role-based interfaces were designed for compound registration scientists, computational chemists, and platform administrators to ensure usability and governance.
Our Solution
Excelra delivered a modern, web-based, cloud-native compound registration platform built on Oracle APEX and deployed on Azure. The solution supported powerful structure search and comparison capabilities, interactive visualization using Marvin JS, and secure collaboration across distributed teams. Leveraging the Excelra Cloud Solution, users could securely share compound collections and collaborate in real time, reinforcing effective cloud migration of R&D platform at enterprise scale.
The low-code architecture empowered the client’s internal teams to act as citizen developers, enabling future customization without dependence on external software teams.
Our solution
The modernized platform eliminated single-user dependency, improved collaboration, and removed bottlenecks in compound registration workflows. Development timelines and costs were significantly reduced, while security, scalability, and usability were enhanced. The client now benefits from reliable scientific informatics solutions that support efficient lead identification and progression.
Conclusion
Through successful cloud migration of R&D platform, Excelra transformed a slow, functionally limited legacy system into a scalable, secure, and collaborative web application. By combining domain expertise with cloud enablement and product design excellence, Excelra delivered long-term operational efficiency and a sustainable foundation for future bioinformatics and drug discovery initiatives.
