Drug Discovery & Development's Top 7 Stories of 2016

Drug Discovery & Development has rounded up our most popular stories of 2016. These articles provide a snapshot of the change the pharmaceutical industry experienced throughout the year.

The Fallout from the Fatal Drug Study in France

Six patients in France were rushed to the hospital earlier this year after participating in a clinical trial assessing a painkiller infused with cannabinoids. Five patients recovered from this outcome, but one patient had passed away. The drug candidate being tested had never raised safety concerns before, but this clinical trial emphasized the importance of transparency and sharing data for drug development programs.

Are Delays in Clinical Trials Due to a Lack of Experienced CRAs?

Craig Morgan, the brand development director at goBalto, wrote an excellent overview regarding the state of the Clinical Research Associate profession.

The Surge in Diabetes Worldwide

Cases of diabetes are on the upswing all over the world, according to a report assembled by The World Health Organization. Developing regions like the Middle East and North Africa experienced some of the biggest increases stressing the need for global health initiatives designed to combat these disorders.

The Direction of the Schizophrenia Drug Pipeline

Business intelligence provider GBI Research issued a new report highlighting the challenges for creating potent schizophrenia treatments. The small pipeline of products is indicative of the low level of investment in R&D due to a likely poor understanding of the disease’s underlying mechanism.

However, there could be some hope for drugs used to treat similar neurological diseases like depression and panic disorders.

J&J CEO: Best of Times, Worst of Times in Healthcare

The Financial Times (FT) hosted its annual U.S. Healthcare & Life Sciences Summit back in May. Alex Gorsky, the chairman of the board and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, sat down with David Crow, the FT’s senior U.S. correspondent to discuss the state of the healthcare industry as the presidential primary season started to wrap up.

Mylan CEO Discusses EpiPen Price Hikes at Forbes Event

The drug pricing debate continued this year with the pharmaceutical company Mylan being at the center of the controversy. Its decision to raise the price of the life-saving EpiPen allergy treatment by almost 400 percent in 10 years brought intense scrutiny from customers and the medical community.

Heather Bresch, Mylan’s CEO, came to the fifth annual Forbes Healthcare Summit to discuss why her firm had implemented this increases.

Searching for the Perfect Anti-Aging Drug

Dr. Peter Fedichev, the chief scientific officer and co-founder of drug discovery company Gero, talked to Drug Discovery & Development about the state of the anti-aging and longevity market.