Current Issue
November 2009 Vol 8 No 11
In this issue
p827 | doi:10.1038/nrd3041
Editorial: Steering for success
p829 | doi:10.1038/nrd3042
News and Analysis
First oral therapies for multiple sclerosis anticipated | PDF (191 KB)
p831 | doi:10.1038/nrd3043
Novel pharmacotherapies for obesity poised to enter market | PDF (132 KB)
p833 | doi:10.1038/nrd3044
News in Brief
Biobusiness Briefs
Deal watch: Nektar in US$1.5 billion licensing deal with AstraZeneca | PDF (162 KB)
p836 | doi:10.1038/nrd3038
Trial watch: CGRP receptor antagonist meets Phase III migraine end points | PDF (195 KB)
p836 | doi:10.1038/nrd3039
Market watch: Sales of biologics to show robust growth through to 2013 | PDF (126 KB)
p837 | doi:10.1038/nrd3040
Patent watch
An Audience With
Frank Douglas | PDF (136 KB)
p840 | doi:10.1038/nrd3047
The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron discusses the institute's multidisciplinary approach to innovation.
From the analyst's couch
Influenza vaccine market dynamics | PDF (202 KB)
p841 | doi:10.1038/nrd3026
Fresh from the Pipeline
Asenapine | PDF (201 KB)
p843 | doi:10.1038/nrd3027
Research Highlights
Antibacterial drugs: Proteasome target to tackle non-replicating TB | PDF (212 KB)
p845 | doi:10.1038/nrd3033
HIV: A new starting point for HIV vaccine design | PDF (227 KB)
p846 | doi:10.1038/nrd3035
Cancer: CpG–siRNA deals double blow to tumours | PDF (234 KB)
p847 | doi:10.1038/nrd3034
Mood disorders: Antidepressant action through gene regulation | PDF (186 KB)
p847 | doi:10.1038/nrd3036
Metabolic disease: Dual benefit of bile acid receptor agonist | PDF (218 KB)
p848 | doi:10.1038/nrd3032
In brief
Antibacterial drugs | Obesity and diabetes | Memory | Lysosomal storage disease | PDF (194 KB)
p848 | doi:10.1038/nrd3037
Perspectives
Outlook
APT drug R&D: the right active ingredient in the right presentation for the right therapeutic use
David Cavalla
p849 | doi:10.1038/nrd2981
Drug repurposing, in which an established active pharmaceutical ingredient is applied in a new way — for example, in a new presentation, often combined with a new therapeutic indication — is an evolving strategy for pharmaceutical R&D. This article discusses each aspect of this strategy, highlighting commercial successes that have arisen from a focus on the presentation and therapeutic use of known active ingredients or slight variations of these compounds.
Opinion
A pre-emptive strike against malaria's stealthy hepatic forms
Dominique Mazier, Laurent Rénia & Georges Snounou
p854 | doi:10.1038/nrd2960
The emerging resistance to current antimalarial drugs calls for new strategies to control the disease. This article highlights the potential of targeting the obligate short-lived hepatic forms of the malaria parasite and ways to overcome the challenges of developing drugs that will achieve this.
Analysis
Can literature analysis identify innovation drivers in drug discovery?
Pankaj Agarwal & David B. Searls
p865 | doi:10.1038/nrd2973
Here, the authors use bibliometrics and related data-mining methods to analyse PubMed abstracts, literature citation data and patent filings. The analyses are used to identify trends in disease-related scientific activity that are likely to give new therapeutic opportunities.
Reviews
New medicines to improve control and contribute to the eradication of malaria
Timothy N. C. Wells, Pedro L. Alonso & Winston E. Gutteridge
p879 | doi:10.1038/nrd2972
The recent call for the eradication of malaria has sparked the development of new drug classes with improved product profiles. Wells and colleagues review the currently available antimalarials and their limitations, the contribution of genome-based technologies and in vitro screening of whole parasites to the discovery of new targets, and the issues that should be considered when developing such antimalarials.
Targeting protein kinases in central nervous system disorders
Laura K. Chico, Linda J. Van Eldik & D. Martin Watterson
p892 | doi:10.1038/nrd2999
Although protein kinases are proving to be valuable therapeutic targets for various peripheral-tissue disorders, the development of kinase-targeted therapies for central nervous system (CNS) diseases remains a challenge. Here, Chico and colleagues discuss the issues associated with CNS drug discovery, present trends in small-molecule properties associated with blood–brain barrier penetrance and review emerging CNS protein kinase targets and compounds in development.
