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Since its launch in 2008, the Innovative Medicines Initiative has catalysed the formation of many consortia to address challenges in drug development and regulation. As it moves into its second phase, we highlight key outcomes so far and lessons learned.
Potential drug–drug interactions mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and solute carrier (SLC) transporters are of clinical and regulatory concern, but the endogenous function of these drug transporters is unclear. Nigam describes the evidence that these transporters transport diverse endogenous substrates and could potentially be important in remote communication. Understanding such functions could clarify the roles of these transporters in disease and in drug–metabolite interactions.
Researchers from across the biomedical research community met in October to discuss solutions to the 'irreproducibility epidemic', which has been re-emphasized by new data from Novartis and Sigma-Aldrich.
Innovative partnerships among researchers, patients, regulators, payors and industry are needed to reinvigorate drug discovery for central nervous system disorders. Here, representatives of the 2013 Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP) Summit group summarize plans to achieve this goal.
Mutations in components of the ERK pathway are a common occurrence in human cancer. Several drugs that target components of the ERK signalling cascade such as RAF, MEK and ERK have been approved or are in late-stage clinical development, and advances are being made in developing RAS inhibitors. Here, Samatar and Poulikakos discuss the particular challenges associated with each target and provide an overview of agents in development.
The goal of management for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is the maintenance of blood glucose levels within healthy normoglycaemic ranges. However, safely achieving this goal using current therapeutic approaches has proved challenging. Here, Langer and colleagues review the developing role of nanotechnology in diabetes management, from diagnosis and disease monitoring to therapeutics.
