Drug Discovery
Drug Discovery of the Year Award
The British Pharmacological Society ’ s Drug Discovery of the Year Award demonstrates that importance of pharmacology in the development of new medicines and rewards the achievements of the team of scientists who discover new drugs .
By the time a new drug is launched , the commercial team often receives the majority of the feedback on the new drug from doctors and patients . You rarely hear about the individuals involved in the early stages of the drug ’ s development , which is why our award is given to the R & D team , rather than the company as a whole .
The award will be given to the discovery team behind a drug ( large or small molecule ) which is an exciting new prospect that best fulfils the following criteria : 1 . Gained regulatory approval within the last three years in the EU and / or the US . 2 . Preclinical to clinical translation shows the importance of pharmacology in the drug discovery / development process . 3 . Has a significant impact on an unmet medical need . 4 . First-in-class , or is a significant improvement over other drugs in the class . 5 . And , mechanism of action known .
Researchers involved in the early stages of a drug development are often overlooked events , while there are new insights both in vitro and from epidemiological studies which suggest how to better identify patients and populations at increased risk ,” explains Michael Rieder , Professor of clinical pharmacology at the University of Western Ontario , Canada , and one of the authors of an editorial in a special issue of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology focusing on adverse drug reactions .
Rieder continued : “ These innovations offer great potential in identifying , treating and hopefully preventing adverse drug reactions in the common pursuit of better drug therapy for all .” “ Given the importance of drugs in modern medicine , the increasing awareness of the impact of adverse drug reactions and the potential for innovation in clinical pharmacology to reduce this risk , was in my view important , not only to address the burden but also to point to directions to enhance drug safety ,” he adds .
Clinical pharmacology and drug development Clinical pharmacologists are at the centre of the drug development process and are essential for the continued success of the UK ’ s life sciences industry . Cultivating this specialist knowledge in the life sciences industry will be vital in improving the success rate of early phase trials , contributing both to the economic success of the industry and , in the longer term , the availability of new medicines to treat patients .
In the early stages of drug development , clinical pharmacologists provide expertise on the potential desired and undesired effects of a molecule on the patient population that is likely to receive the drug . This specialist knowledge of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics characteristics of drugs , alongside knowledge of the pathophysiology and treatment of disease , is increasingly important as polypharmacy becomes more widespread and new approaches to laboratory and clinical trials are developed .
As medicines become increasingly stratified , clinical pharmacologists in industry are likely to have an increasing role at the forefront of the development of
new technologies to realise the ambition of the Innovate UK ’ s stratified medicine innovation platform .
During the later stages of development , licensing and marketing , clinical pharmacologists have the expertise to support industry to ensure the safe use of new drugs in diverse patient populations , and can support the development of trials to capture data to demonstrate the benefits of new products over and above existing treatments and competitors .
References 1 . A prescription for the NHS : Recognising the value of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
2 . British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology – Special Issue : Adverse Drug Reactions ; October 2015 ; Volume 80 , Issue 4 .
British Pharmacological Society
The British Pharmacological Society is a charity with a mission to promote and advance the whole spectrum of pharmacology . Founded in 1931 , it is now a global community at the heart of pharmacology , with over 3,500 members from more than 60 countries worldwide .
The Society leads the way in the research and application of pharmacology around the world through peer-reviewed journals , educational resources and scientific meetings – as well as a series of public engagement and outreach activities that explain the importance of pharmacology in the modern world .
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