CDD Vault

Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD) is a life sciences software company that provides CDD Vault, a cloud-based scientific data management system and electronic lab notebook (ELN) platform designed to help researchers organize, collaborate on, and accelerate biological and chemical discovery. Founded in 2004 and spun out of Eli Lilly & Co., CDD serves hundreds of organizations and thousands of scientists globally — spanning pharmaceutical companies, biotechs, academic institutions, and humanitarian research groups — enabling them to manage complex research data in a single, secure, and intuitive environment.

CDD Vault is built around the principle of breaking down data silos by storing both biology and chemistry data in one flexible system. The platform is entirely web-based, requiring no heavy customization or steep learning curves — new users typically become proficient after just 90 minutes of guided onboarding. CDD's support team is composed of lab-trained scientists who provide hands-on training and ongoing assistance to ensure customers maximize the value of their investment.

Core Platform Capabilities

• Unified Biology and Chemistry Data Management: Store, structure, and compare diverse data types and workflows in a single system, eliminating fragmented data across teams and tools.
• Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN): Capture and organize experimental records digitally, enabling easy preparation of reports and presentations directly from well-organized data.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Enable secure, simultaneous data access and collaboration across onshore and offshore teams through any web browser.
• Intellectual Property Protection: Robust security features safeguard against data loss and unauthorized access, meeting the stringent requirements of pharmaceutical partners.
• AI and Machine Learning Enablement: Structure research data to facilitate AI applications and leverage built-in generative tools to identify and discover new leads.
• Biologics Registration: Support for biologics registration was introduced in 2022, expanding the platform beyond small molecules.

Key Modules Introduced

• AI and Automation Module: Launched in 2024 to support machine learning workflows and automated data processing within the platform.
• Curves Module: Introduced in 2024 for dose-response and curve-fitting analysis of biological assay data.
• Inventory (Samples) Module: Launched in 2024 to manage compound and sample inventory directly within CDD Vault.
• PharmaKB (The Pharma KnowledgeBase): Launched in 2021 as a curated pharmaceutical knowledge resource integrated with the platform.
• Model Insights: A capability supporting predictive modeling and data-driven decision-making within the platform.

Deployment and Compliance

• CDD Vault is delivered as a fully cloud-based SaaS platform, accessible through any web browser without the need for local installation or heavy IT infrastructure.
• The platform includes robust security features that satisfy the compliance and data security requirements of major pharmaceutical partners.
• CDD Vault supports secure multi-party collaboration, making it suitable for organizations managing sensitive intellectual property across multiple external partners.

Notable Customers and Milestones

• UCSF was CDD's first customer when the company launched in 2004.
• In 2008, CDD was awarded a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate tuberculosis drug discovery.
• In 2012, the NIH adopted CDD Vault for its Neuroscience Blueprint Network.
• CDD Vault reached its 1,000,000th customer login in 2019, reflecting broad adoption across the scientific community.
• Customers include research scientists and medicinal chemists at organizations such as Ridgeline Therapeutics and Jubilant Biosys, as well as academic institutions such as Weill Cornell Medicine.

Mission and Values

• CDD's mission is to provide an unparalleled software experience for both humanitarian and commercial collaborative research and discovery.
• The company emphasizes customer success as central to its values, with the belief that scientific breakthroughs enabled by its platform benefit the broader world.
• CDD maintains a collaborative, values-driven culture and continues to invest in innovation, including the practical application of large language models (LLMs) and agentic workflows in medicinal chemistry.

CDD Vault is a trusted informatics platform for organizations ranging from early-stage biotechs to established pharmaceutical companies and academic research groups, offering a rapid time-to-value solution that combines ease of use, scientific depth, and enterprise-grade security to support the full lifecycle of drug discovery research.