2 EDITORIAL

Nanotechnology a ‘white knight’ for drug development? A few issues back, we looked at nano-enabled drug delivery systems and the expected rapid growth for this market [Pharmaceutical & Diagnostic Innovation 2005; 3 (4); 3-6]. Nanoscale drug-delivery vehicles are already in clinical use, but those successes represent just one way in which nanotechnology will prove useful. Bringing a novel pharmaceutical to market is a difficult and expensive task – and not getting any easier. Currently, over 80% of drug candidates fail between the IND and NDA stages, with over 50% of candidates failing at phase III. This situation has prompted the US FDA to introduce its Critical Path program to accelerate the development of medical products, by focusing on modernizing the tools that researchers and product developers use to assess the safety and effectiveness of potential new products. Nanotechnology is viewed as a critically needed platform technology to create these tools and help accelerate the clinical trials process, increase the chances of regulatory approval and cut the development costs of novel agents. This issue, we take a look at how nanotechnology can improve drug development (p3). We are always on the lookout for good ideas and stories worth telling, and are keen to profile companies with innovative technologies. If your company has just patented an innovative new technology, gained a license for such a technology or is about to launch a novel drug therapy or diagnostic product, then contact us about having your company profiled in an upcoming issue. Also, if there is something interesting going on at your company or institution, let us know. E-mail your ideas to [email protected]. Tracey Wright Editor

Pharmaceutical & Diagnostic Innovation 2005; Vol. 3, No. 7