{"title":"Sustaining pharmaceutical innovation after the Inflation Reduction Act: trends in R&D spending, equity investment, and business development","authors":"Henry Dao , Fred D. Ledley","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104394","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104394","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is concern that the drug pricing provisions of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could disincentivize investment in pharmaceutical innovation. This work shows that research and development (R&D) spending by pharmaceutical manufacturers, investment in biotechnology, merger and acquisition (M&A) of clinical-stage firms, and drug licensing all increased in the six quarters following passage of the IRA compared to the preceding six quarters and stabilized above pre-pandemic levels after the market disruptions of the pandemic era. These results are indicative of a robust industry that continues to invest in innovation despite the prospects of decreasing future drug prices due to the IRA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 7","pages":"Article 104394"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144245471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Molecular craftsmanship: reforging peptide backbones for enhanced drug design","authors":"Peng Zhang , Youjia Hao , Mengjun Xie , Huan Wang , Jiangtao Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104395","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104395","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This review analyzes peptide backbone modifications in drug design, examining fundamental principles and applications in pharmaceutical development. A systematic classification of modification approaches encompasses amide bond alterations, α-carbon modifications, backbone extensions and conformational constraints. The analysis evaluates synthetic methodologies, computational tools and biological outcomes, emphasizing clinical translation barriers. Critical examination of current design paradigms reveals systematic biases and unexpected effects while advancing theoretical frameworks incorporating multi-scale phenomena. The work addresses computational modeling limitations, regulatory requirements and production challenges, presenting evidence-based solutions. This integration of chemical, biological and computational perspectives provides a foundation for advancing peptide-based therapeutics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 7","pages":"Article 104395"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144245469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Renato Mastrangeli , Maria Concetta Audino , Steve Marquis Fernandes , Horst Bierau
{"title":"Sustainability by design for recombinant protein therapeutics","authors":"Renato Mastrangeli , Maria Concetta Audino , Steve Marquis Fernandes , Horst Bierau","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104393","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104393","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recombinant protein therapeutics play a vital role in pharmacology, offering precise and effective treatments. However, their development faces sustainability challenges, including high attrition rates, resource-intensive processes, and complex supply chains, leading to waste, emissions, and high costs. Regulatory focus on sustainability and value-based healthcare further exacerbates these challenges. Current efforts primarily optimize processes, whereas a comprehensive strategy should integrate compound design (i.e. functional and physicochemical properties) to maximize sustainability. Key criteria include simpler molecular formats, extended half-lives, enhanced stability, rigorous developability assessments, and improved expression host efficiency. These reduce costs and emissions, and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by expanding access to innovative medicines. A strong sustainability profile will be crucial for the competitiveness of biotherapeutics in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 7","pages":"Article 104393"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144245470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Přemysl Vlček , Jiří Horáček , Marcela Grünerová-Lippertová , Martin Brunovský
{"title":"Therapeutic potential of acetyl-DL-leucine and its L-enantiomer in posterior fossa syndrome: Mechanistic insights","authors":"Přemysl Vlček , Jiří Horáček , Marcela Grünerová-Lippertová , Martin Brunovský","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104389","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104389","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Posterior fossa syndrome (PFS) is a serious postoperative complication that primarily affects children following resection of posterior fossa tumors. Although its complex pathophysiology, involving disruption of cerebellar structures and the dentato–thalamo-cortical pathway, is increasingly being elucidated, effective treatments remain limited. This perspective explores acetyl-DL-leucine (ADLL) and its active L-enantiomer, N-acetyl-L-leucine (NALL), as promising therapeutic candidates for PFS. Emerging mechanistic, preclinical, and clinical evidence suggests that both compounds might alleviate PFS symptoms through neuroprotective and neurorestorative mechanisms, including neuronal membrane stabilization, metabolic enhancement, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and dopaminergic modulation. NALL, which has greater neurotherapeutic potential than ADLL, might particularly support recovery through its multimodal effects on neuronal function, thereby enhancing perioperative resilience. Further translational research into these acetylated leucine analogues is warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 6","pages":"Article 104389"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144179611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clement Chatelain , Samuel Lessard , Katherine Klinger , Shameer Khader , Emanuele de Rinaldis
{"title":"Building a human genetic data lake to scale up insights for drug discovery","authors":"Clement Chatelain , Samuel Lessard , Katherine Klinger , Shameer Khader , Emanuele de Rinaldis","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104385","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104385","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous disease-associated variants, yet efficient storage and analysis of genetic data remain a challenge. Here, we propose a scalable genetic data lake (GDL) integrating GWAS, molecular quantitative trait loci (mQTL), and epigenetic data within a big data infrastructure to enable rapid analysis. This framework allows large-scale computations, prioritizing 54 586 gene–trait associations, including 34 779 found exclusively in consortium data sets. By leveraging public, consortium, and private data, this approach enhances target discovery and indication selection, accelerating drug development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 6","pages":"Article 104385"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144132011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Keerti D. Jadoenathmisier , Helga Gardarsdottir , Peter G.M. Mol , Anna M.G. Pasmooij
{"title":"Insights from the European Medicines Agency on digital health technology derived endpoints","authors":"Keerti D. Jadoenathmisier , Helga Gardarsdottir , Peter G.M. Mol , Anna M.G. Pasmooij","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates the use of digital health technologies (DHTs) for endpoint measurement in clinical trials, as documented in the Qualification Opinions, Qualification Advice, and Scientific Advice procedures issued by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) between 2013 and 2022. Accelerometers are the most proposed DHTs, followed by glucose monitors and smartphones. Accelerometers are often proposed for nervous system diseases to support mobility measures and objective testing. Most DHTs were proposed for efficacy endpoints. The feedback provided by EMA emphasizes the importance of validation, precision, and a clearly defined context of use. The EMA’s recent action plan further supports advancing DHT methodologies in clinical trials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 6","pages":"Article 104388"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating the complexities of spinal cord injury: an overview of pathology, treatment strategies and clinical trials","authors":"Manjeet Chopra, Hemant Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating neurological condition characterized by sensory and motor deficits. It significantly affects patient quality of life and poses a substantial socioeconomic burden. The complex and multifaceted pathophysiology of SCI complicates its effective treatment. Following the primary mechanical insult, a secondary injury cascade disrupts the microenvironment at the injury site, exacerbating the tissue damage. Despite extensive research, no fully effective treatment is currently available. This review explores current pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment strategies at the preclinical and clinical stages, providing insights into promising interventions. The findings highlight potential avenues for future research aimed at improving SCI management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 6","pages":"Article 104387"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Chemical space visual navigation in the era of deep learning and Big Data","authors":"Sergey Sosnin","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104392","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104392","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ‘Big Data’ era in medicinal chemistry presents new challenges for analysis. While modern computers can store and process millions of molecular structures, final decisions in medicinal chemistry remain in human hands. However, the ability of humans to analyze large chemical data sets is limited by cognitive constraints, creating a demand for methods and tools to visualize chemical space. In this review, I highlight recent advances in algorithms and tools for visual navigation in chemical space. I explore how these methods are evolving to address the ‘Big Data’ challenge and discuss unconventional applications, including the visual validation of quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR)/quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models, interactive generative approaches, and even the use of chemical space maps as digital art.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 7","pages":"Article 104392"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144207297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zehra , Anam Bakhtiyar , Asimul Islam , Romana Ishrat , Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan
{"title":"AI-driven approaches in therapeutic interventions: Transforming RNA-seq analysis into biomarker discovery and drug development","authors":"Zehra , Anam Bakhtiyar , Asimul Islam , Romana Ishrat , Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104391","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104391","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pharmacotranscriptomics integrates transcriptomics and pharmacology to discover potential therapeutic targets for effective treatment. This review focuses on significant advancements in combining artificial intelligence (AI) with transcriptomic research, enabling the conversion of vast data sets into valuable knowledge for for developing effective therapeutics. We provide detailed insights into implementing machine learning (ML) techniques for analyzing intricate transcriptomic data, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms and the identification of key signature genes for biomarker and drug development. We further highlighted the potential of ML to streamline the drug discovery process by revealing disease mechanisms and suggesting therapeutic interventions. This review presents a comprehensive framework of AI models and their applications within pharmacotranscriptomics analysis. We also discuss the challenges and limitations needed to optimize AI models for enhanced therapeutic outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 7","pages":"Article 104391"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Asha Recino , Melissa L.D. Rayner , Jennifer L. Rohn , Oscar Della Pasqua
{"title":"Therapeutic innovation in drug repurposing: Challenges and opportunities","authors":"Asha Recino , Melissa L.D. Rayner , Jennifer L. Rohn , Oscar Della Pasqua","doi":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104390","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drug repurposing leverages existing drugs for new therapeutic uses, offering significant opportunities but facing challenges such as financial and regulatory barriers and the need for robust evidence for an efficient clinical development plan. This paper examines the critical steps in drug repurposing and their role in improving study success rates. It also highlights the support infrastructure provided by the University College London (UCL) Repurposing Therapeutic Innovation Network (TIN), as a partnership model to address these challenges through diverse expertise, enterprise insight, and tailored guidance. By fostering collaborations and offering structured support, the Repurposing TIN aims to accelerate repurposing efforts and deliver patient benefits. We invite potential collaborators to join us in advancing drug repurposing through innovative and strategic approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":301,"journal":{"name":"Drug Discovery Today","volume":"30 7","pages":"Article 104390"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144179851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}