My Drug Development Training

Quite interesting training, yesterday...

A full day listening to the hypothetical structure of a drug development pipeline... from Discovery to Early Development, through the Clinical trials (I, IIa/b, IIIa/b), 'til Marketing and Post-Launch Follow-Up (often called Phase IV Trials).

Quite interesting, mostly for the comments of people who worked in one part or the other of said line... Noteworthy, a german guy who pointed out how actually very few, if any, drugs ever come out from the pipeline where expected, since often unexpected side effects open up new therapeutic possibilities for that molecules, and the original reason for developing it goes in the waste bin for one reason or another - extreme example is thalidomide, infamous drug retired from the market 'cause of its teratogenicity (is this the right word?) now enjoying a second life as therapy fornewly diagnosed multiple myeloma (don't ask me too much - check it on wikipedia).

I had my quibbles about the fact that the part on drug discovery and early development was presented, not explained, so that many of the non-technical people were left with doubts. What's the use iof just reading a definition of Half-life, or explaining what ADME means if then you don't explain what we actuially mean by the various ophases, particularly Distribution and Methabolism, the most esoteric for a non initiated? Yet, may be I am too harsh. I think I am not.

The last part, delivered by a marketeer, was very interesting, if a bit rushed out. I never thought that marketing did enter drug design since the very first phases o discovery, when they gently steer the research toward easily marketable and proficuous drugs. It certainly makes sense, just I never though of it.

That's it. food was good, and free, plus some ladies were worth looking at :-)