IDrugs : the investigational drugs journal
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Tyrosine kinase receptors have important signaling functions in various physiological and pathological pathways. The recognition of their involvement in tumor angiogenesis, which is the main event of tumor progression, opened a new era in the discovery of anticancer drugs. Developers soon grasped that by targeting several tyrosine kinase receptors at once, so-called multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitors, a drug could dramatically affect the progression of cancer and decrease resistance. ⋯ The sustained inhibition of VEGFR phosphorylation (> 24 h), the fast in vivo clearance and clinical efficacy against a broad range of malignancies appear to be the major advantages of intedanib. Furthermore, the existing data suggest an excellent safety profile. At the time of publication, intedanib had reached phase III trials for the treatment of NSCLC and ovarian cancer.
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The PHup2Date 2010, held in Munich, Germany, included topics covering issues relevant for drug development in the field of pulmonary hypertension (PH). This conference report highlights selected presentations on the diagnosis and treatment of PH, the mechanisms of action of PH drugs and the regulatory challenges faced by novel PH therapeutics.
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The Pharma Summit 2010, held in London, included topics covering the future changes and developments that are expected in the pharmaceutical industry. This conference report highlights selected presentations on various visions for the future of the pharma industry, the expected revolution in healthcare, changes with patients driving healthcare innovation, the future of healthcare technology, and the outlook for the global economy and emerging markets in the pharma industry.
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The productivity of the pharmaceutical industry, as assessed by the number of NMEs produced per US dollar spent in R&D, has been in steady decline during the past 40 years. This decline in productivity not only poses a significant challenge to the pharmaceutical industry, but also to society because of the importance of developing drugs for the treatment of unmet medical needs. The major challenge in progressing a new drug to the market is the successful completion of clinical trials. ⋯ However, open-access collaborative partnerships are gaining momentum in industry, and are also favored by funding agencies. Such open-access collaborations may be a powerful alternative to closed collaborations; the sharing of early-stage research data is expected to enable scientific discovery by engaging a broader section of the scientific community in the exploration of new findings. Potentially, the sharing of data could contribute to an increased understanding of biological processes and a decrease in the attrition of clinical programs.
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The Financial Times Global Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology conference, held in London, included topics covering the current and future challenges confronting the pharma and biotech industry, and presented possible solutions to those challenges. This conference report highlights selected presentations on the industry challenges for big pharma companies, diversification as a solution to industry problems, overcoming challenges with collaborations and M&As, and the role of emerging markets in the pharma industry. Other subjects discussed included the expected impact of personalized medicine on the industry, the entry of big pharma into the generics market and the problems that are confronting the small pharma and biotech industry.