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Editor-Your recent article highlighting lack of new drugs worldwide
comes as no surprise to me. Perhaps one explanation for this could be our
over obsession with molecular biology over the past 2 decades. The
obsession with molecular biology over this time period has soaked up
billions of pounds worldwide, and has produced an amazing scientific
achievement, namely the sequencing of the human genome. However, very
little in terms of treatment, or cures for human disease have come from
this research despite the countless billions spent worldwide. It could be
argued that if these billions would have been put into more classical
forms of research, then greater medical breakthroughs in terms of
treating, alleviating or curing human disease would have been forthcoming.
Many molecular biologists may now accept that replacing a defective gene
with one that will ‘cure’ the problem is not quite as simple as they had
originally thought. Polygenetic disorders such as hypertension, heart
disease and cancer have proved even more elusive.
Is it hardly surprising therefore that new drugs are on the decline while
our universities, medical schools and hospitals jump like a heard of
brainless sheep on the molecular biology band wagon and fill our academic
institutes and hospital departments with yet more molecular biologists,
searching for yet more ‘genes’. It is sad to see that so much money has
been poured into this area, to the detriment of traditional areas of
research which have been so fruitful in the past.
I have been in research for 20 years and worked in universities, medical
schools and hospitals. It is sad to have witnessed such massive sums of
money being wasted in some of those institutions I have worked, often
backed by research trusts and charities and misdirected by clinically
qualified directors. Perhaps at the end of the day, the lack of new drugs
being registered, indicate that the chickens are finally coming home to
roost. Perhaps what is needed is a more intelligent, individualistic and
fresh approach to future research which is led from the front by
experienced research scientists and not by clinically qualified directors
with there heads in the clouds.
1. Dobson R. Lack of new drugs is reaching crisis point, says review.
BMJ 2003; 326: 119.
Is lack of new drugs due to decades of misdirected research funding.
Editor-Your recent article highlighting lack of new drugs worldwide
comes as no surprise to me. Perhaps one explanation for this could be our
over obsession with molecular biology over the past 2 decades. The
obsession with molecular biology over this time period has soaked up
billions of pounds worldwide, and has produced an amazing scientific
achievement, namely the sequencing of the human genome. However, very
little in terms of treatment, or cures for human disease have come from
this research despite the countless billions spent worldwide. It could be
argued that if these billions would have been put into more classical
forms of research, then greater medical breakthroughs in terms of
treating, alleviating or curing human disease would have been forthcoming.
Many molecular biologists may now accept that replacing a defective gene
with one that will ‘cure’ the problem is not quite as simple as they had
originally thought. Polygenetic disorders such as hypertension, heart
disease and cancer have proved even more elusive.
Is it hardly surprising therefore that new drugs are on the decline while
our universities, medical schools and hospitals jump like a heard of
brainless sheep on the molecular biology band wagon and fill our academic
institutes and hospital departments with yet more molecular biologists,
searching for yet more ‘genes’. It is sad to see that so much money has
been poured into this area, to the detriment of traditional areas of
research which have been so fruitful in the past.
I have been in research for 20 years and worked in universities, medical
schools and hospitals. It is sad to have witnessed such massive sums of
money being wasted in some of those institutions I have worked, often
backed by research trusts and charities and misdirected by clinically
qualified directors. Perhaps at the end of the day, the lack of new drugs
being registered, indicate that the chickens are finally coming home to
roost. Perhaps what is needed is a more intelligent, individualistic and
fresh approach to future research which is led from the front by
experienced research scientists and not by clinically qualified directors
with there heads in the clouds.
1. Dobson R. Lack of new drugs is reaching crisis point, says review.
BMJ 2003; 326: 119.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests