Future drug discovery and development

Drug discovery and development has evolved significantly over the last century. Extrapolation from current practice invites speculation about the future in four areas of particular interest. These include the range of therapeutic modalities; the methods for selection of drug targets; the interjection of translational medicine in between the traditional discovery and development phases; and the relationships between institutions. A major focus for the latter three developments is the shortcomings of current target validation. This personal view will be given from perspectives gained in large integrated pharmaceutical companies that are primarily focused on common disorders. Where appropriate, comparisons will be made to the development of treatments for rare Mendelian disorders.