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The launch of a groundbreaking clinical trial in oncology and the publication of guidance from the US FDA highlight increasing support for the use of adaptive clinical trials in the development of new drugs.
Biologics currently dominate the market for disease-modifying drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, but companies are betting that there is room for next-generation oral drugs that target protein kinases.
A meeting that marks a new effort to promote collaboration between academic institutions and industry on translational research took place at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in February.
Recent deal-making and promising clinical trial results for antibody-based antibacterial agents highlight the potential of such therapeutics to tackle multidrug resistant bacteria.
In a year in which regulators and drug companies gained familiarity with risk management strategies, the number of new drug approvals was similar to that in 2008.