Major Drug Introductions

Abstract

This chapter lists 530 compounds which were first introduced during the years 1993 to 2011 as listed in Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry. Most of these were new chemical entities (NCEs) but there are also a few new biological entities (NBEs). Whilst there was an average of 30 new introductions per year, there does appear to have been a fall in the annual rate over the time being considered. Most new drugs were discovered and most were first introduced into the US with Japan and the UK being in second and third places respectively. Compounds are discussed in terms of the therapeutic areas for which they were initially introduced and anti-infectives, anti-cancer drugs, drugs for cardiovascular disease, diseases of the nervous system, diabetes and antirheumatics are dominant.