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| home > epc > summer 2003 > the technology conundrum: new and old technologies in drug discovery |
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European Pharmaceutical Contractor
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The last 25 years have seen tremendous strides in medicine with the discovery of powerful new drugs to treat a wide variety of diseases. The beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs (hypertension), histamine H2-antagonists (peptic ulcer), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (hypertension and heart failure) and the HMG Co-A reductase inhibitor statins (hypercholesterolaemia) are examples which spring immediately to mind. Examination of such successful projects for the pharmaceutical industry indicates that there is no right or wrong way to go about drug discovery and no single template can be drawn up to ensure success. The same can be said about discovery technologies, where the aim should be to use the most appropriate one at each stage of drug discovery. However, a disturbing trend is emerging for new technologies to become an end in themselves and not the drug discovery tools they are meant to be.
This article looks more closely at the approach of the pharmaceutical industry to drug discovery today and at how this has evolved over the past 25 years to see if any lessons can be learned. It highlights why new technologies have and will continue to pose a conundrum for research managers because whilst they increase research knowledge and capabilities, they influence the discovery process in ways that are very difficult to predict.
Research Productivity
Almost all of the leading pharmaceutical companies believe that new drug discovery technologies represent a lifeline which will greatly improve the efficiency and productivity of the research process (1). In terms of drug discovery, the investment in new technologies has yet to produce any real benefit since surveys of the industry show that the number of new products at the early stages of development has yet to increase (2).
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Industry Events |
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4th Annual Patient Recruitment and Retention in Clinical Trials
13-15 October 2008, Amsterdam
Patient recruitment
is now consuming thirty percent of clinical trial time - more time than any
other clinical trial activity - and almost half of all trial delays result from
patient recruitment problems.
As the
recruiting culture becomes more sophisticated and the forces affecting patient
enrollment grow more numerous and complex, pharmaceutical companies are
striving to discover new strategies to facilitate enrollment in clinical
trials.
With
increasing industry pressure to develop, test and market greater numbers of new
drugs faster, pharmaceutical companies need to perform clinical trials as
quickly as possible. Inefficient patient recruitment processes is a formidable
barrier to pharmaceutical companies' success in launching new products.
Improving the patient recruitment process is imperative to avoid wasted
investments and eliminate costly delays in bringing new drugs to market --
today and even more so in the not-so-distant future. Improved patient
recruitment presents one of the largest opportunities for pharmaceutical
companies to eliminate delays in clinical trials, thereby making it possible to
reduce time to market. With patent time limits and large overheads
meaning that any delays in the development timeline can be disastrous, a good
understanding of how to successfully recruit patients for trials is vital for
any company looking to succeed.
More info >> |
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News and Press Releases |
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Azopharma Product Development Group, Inc
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Azopharma Product Development Group, Inc. (“Azopharma”) announced today the addition of innovative state-of-the-art equipment at its formulation and manufacturing division, ApiCross Drug Delivery Technologies in Hollywood, Florida. The most recent acquisition is the MG Futura Capsule Filler which delivers the latest in capsule filling technology. The company has also added a Bausch & Strobel Aseptic Filling Isolator, equipment that is ground-breaking in the powder filling process. These additions support our previously implemented XcelodoseTM powder micro-dosing system. With these technologies, Azopharma is able to provide its clients with all forms of the capsule filling process. The new equipment is part of Azopharma’s recent manufacturing expansion which includes 17 new manufacturing suites for GMP, cytotoxic and aseptic products...
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