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Deuterated drugs draw heavier backing

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery volume 15, pages 219–221 (2016)Cite this article

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The FDA is considering a first approval of a deuterated drug, and large pharmaceutical companies have started to incorporate 'heavy hydrogen' into novel candidates.

“I don't blame anyone for the scepticism. I think drug discovery is a 'show me' situation,” says Roger Tung, CEO of Concert Pharmaceuticals, which develops deuterated drugs. “An approval will provide a clear demonstration that compounds that contain deuterium can be safe and effective.” Clinical data suggest that deuterated drugs can, indeed, be better than their undeuterated counterparts, he adds.

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  1. Asher Mullard
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Mullard, A. Deuterated drugs draw heavier backing. Nat Rev Drug Discov 15, 219–221 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2016.63

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