Translational medicine, pharmacology and drug discovery

Abstract

Although 46 drug approvals by the FDA in 2017 was the highest in 20 years, drug development remains a highly inefficient process with a declining rate of return on investment. Public pressure and the decline in spending power by the NIH have fostered in the US engagement of academia in translational science. This requires investment in human capital pertinent to understanding the mechanisms of drug action and the factors contributing to variability in drug response. Additional challenges are the development of organizational and physical infrastructure to support the deep phenotyping characteristic of human phenomic science and its integration with data derived at scale from electronic health records and linked biobanks. Novel approaches to collaboration with industry, addressing issues of conflict of interest and patent coverage can facilitate access to expertise in medicinal chemistry and kinetic modelling.