Using Electron Microscopy (EM) in drug discovery
Why Electron Microscopy? 88% of the 210 drugs granted FDA approval between 2010 and 2016 were informed by structural biology. Traditionally structural biology has been underpinned by X-ray crystallography and to a lesser extent NMR. However, significant improvements in the field of Electron Microscopy (EM) has provided a powerful approach to studying protein structure. Traditionally […]
Orphan drug review
In the previous article, we established the procedural aspects of EU Orphan Drug Designation. Now let’s look at what elements of orphan disease applications require a more detailed review by COMP (Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products). Prevalence of the disease This definition is quite clear, but it’s important to understand how the terms of classification […]
Orphan drug development
Rare diseases in the European Union Increased awareness of rare diseases and a favourable investment environment for orphan drug development represent opportunities for academic research and SMEs. To convert this potential into patient benefits, research impact and financial revenue it is essential to understand this topic in-depth and navigate pivotal regulatory processes, such as the […]
Techniques in kinase profiling
The role of kinases in human disease is well known in the drug discovery world, making them significant therapeutic intervention points. There are over 500 known kinases in the human kinome and over 150 are mutated or misregulated in various disease states. However, developing a selective kinase inhibitor can be both challenging and time consuming. […]
A guide to sourcing biosamples
Medicines Discovery Catapult and the BioIndustry Association stated in their 2018 State of the Discovery Nation Report, that: “… over 80% of SMEs surveyed agreed that access to biosamples is hugely important for commercial development” and “… as many as 80% found accessing UK samples unexpectedly difficult…” A major recommendation of this report was that […]
The many ways charities can boost innovation in medical research
Among the wealth and diversity of stakeholders that bring science out of the laboratories and closer to patients, charities are usually regarded as the hands-off funders of research. However, an increasing number of biomedical research charities have been taking a more proactive and involved role in boosting innovation in the therapeutic areas they support. Action […]
New methods to improve the translation of biomedical science towards clinical trial success
It is now over ten years since John Ioannidis published his essay on ‘Why most published findings are false’. This paper presented statistical arguments to remind the research community that a finding is less likely to be true if: 1) study size is small, 2) effect size is small, 3) a protocol is not pre-determined […]
A patient’s perspective on using samples and data for research
What factors encourage patients to donate clinical samples and data for research? I think there are several factors that encourage patients to donate samples. Data is a slightly separate issue, but together they come down to the three things we already know from surveys about why patients participate in research: Firstly we want to benefit […]
Building an ecosystem to support data-driven health startups
The UK is in an excellent position to establish a world-leading position in the field of data-driven health. Technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, and neural networks will accelerate drug discovery by measuring and characterising target engagement, validating targets in translatable cell models, improving our understanding of drugs, disease and drug-target interactions within patients. […]