Last year saw an increase in approval of agents for the treatment of cancers, while new diabetic and infectious disease therapies were also approved. Dr Sarah Houlton looks at 2011’s new chemical entities.
With the days of the big blockbuster drug largely coming to an end, the future of the pharma industry increasingly lies in drugs for diseases with smaller patient populations, and those targeted more precisely at specific patient sub-populations. Many big therapeutic areas are now well-served by effective generics – especially with the expiry of patents on some of the biggest selling drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor) and clopidogrel (Plavix) – but there is still potential for new medicines in many well-served areas if safer, more effective drugs that act at novel targets can be discovered. Many of the drugs that were approved in 2011 fit squarely into these categories.
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