A recent note in Science Insider describes the failed
clinical trial of a monoclonal against β amyloid. The failure of bapineuzumab
is a blow to Alzheimer’s patients, their families, and to the pharmaceutical
companies that have made major investments in the underlying research and
clinical trials. Addressing chronic disease in the CNS is clearly a challenging
and risky proposition. The failure of massive phase III studies such as the
bapineuzumab trial is a key driver of the escalating costs of R&D in big
pharma. This raises the question of whether the current model of pharmaceutical
R&D is able to address diseases like Alzheimer’s or whether novel
strategies are needed. Individual company-specific research programs and
clinical trials may be nearing obsolescence. New approaches involving a higher
degree of cooperation between industry, government and academia may be
essential to address the difficult challenges of multifactorial chronic
diseases. Drug development in the precompetitive space is being increasingly
considered as an alternative strategy, but the concept needs further evolution.
For more information on this
topic watch for an upcoming Kindle book “Pharmaceutical Innovation and Public
Policy: the Case for a New Strategy for Drug Discovery and Development”.
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