Translational Research in Drug Discovery and Development

Abstract

Translational research facilitates the application of basic scientific discoveries in clinical and community settings to prevent and treat human diseases. The translation of knowledge and innovations from basic laboratory experiments to point-of-care patient applications; production of new drugs, devices, and healthcare products; and promising treatments for patients is referred to as benchside to bedside transition. Numerous opportunities encompass translational research. However, there are several obstacles involved in the process that make the translational journey quite challenging. The major challenges that hamper the growth of translational research include insufficient resources, inadequate funding and infrastructure, shortage of qualified researchers, and lack of sufficient experience in essential techniques. Translational drug discovery and development is an exceedingly difficult, expensive, time-consuming, and risky process. Despite thousands of pharmaceutical companies working to develop and get new drugs to market, and billions of dollars spent every year, only a few new molecular entities (NMEs) receive marketing approval from the FDA per year. Translational drug discovery demands both the need for cooperation between clinical and pharmacological research and the significance of the role of academia in target identification and drug discovery, design, and development. This chapter highlights an overview of translational research in a drug discovery and development perspective. We further discussed associated opportunities and challenges, as well as possible strategies that could be used to overcome the challenges. Certain strategies like prioritizing research area, clearer vision on the project, committed team of researchers, established infrastructure, sufficient funding, and meaningful collaborations could be highly beneficial in accelerating the hunt to discover new drugs and for the establishment of successful translational drug discovery process.