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This article investigates pharmaceutical innovation by analysing data on the companies that introduced the ∼1,200 new drugs that have been approved by the US FDA since 1950. Implications of this analysis — which shows that the rate of new drug output in this period has essentially been constant despite the huge increases in R&D investment — are discussed, as well as options to achieve sustainability for the pharmaceutical industry.
Voltage-gated K+ channels (KV) are involved in diverse physiological processes and offer important drug development opportunities for cancer and autoimmune diseases, as well as metabolic, neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Here, Wulff and colleagues discuss strategies to pharmacologically modulate KV channels and highlight recent progress in developing drugs that target specific KVsubfamilies.
Proteomics techniques can be applied in drug target identification and validation, but data interpretation can be complicated by the identification of proteins in unexpected cellular locations. Here, Butler and Overall discuss the importance of recognizing that many intracellular proteins may have physiological functions in the extracellular compartment, and its implications for drug discovery.
With five novel oral therapies in late-stage development, there could soon be a wide range of treatment options for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis, but better biomarkers are needed to more effectively address the challenge of treating progressive forms of the disease.
The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron discusses the institute's multidisciplinary approach to innovation.
Phase III trial results for three anti-obesity therapies suggest that they meet at least some of the efficacy benchmarks for regulatory approval, although questions remain about the value of the benefits offered.