2022 was a complicated year. Global challenges like the Ukraine war and the continued impact of Covid-19 have been felt across the world. And yet it was also a year of incredible innovation in drug discovery, with the potential of new biotechnology beginning to be revealed.
Our top 10 most popular online articles for 2022 tell a story of the most important trending topics for the year.
Why synthetic biology is the next big thing for biopharma
Our most popular article was on the emerging field of synthetic biology and a key topic in our Winter 21/22 issue.
DDW’s Lu Rahman speaks to Dr Emily Leproust, Founder and CEO of Twist Biopharma, about the potential that synthetic biology holds within the drug discovery sector.
Read the full article: Why synthetic biology is the next big thing for biopharma
The significance of FDA industry guidance on cell and gene therapies
On 4 November 2022, the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research released guidance for the industry on studying multiple versions of a cellular or gene therapy (CGT) product in an early-phase clinical trial in a single disease.
In this well-read article, DDW’s Megan Thomas outlines the key takeaways from the document and speaks with industry experts about why this is a significant regulatory milestone.
Read the full article: The significance of FDA industry guidance on cell and gene therapies
What’s next for RNA-based medicine post-Covid-19?
Thanks to extreme urgency and the availability of funding, our understanding of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines came on in leaps and bounds during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, all eyes are on this unique therapeutic platform and its exciting clinical possibilities across many areas of medicine.
In this topical guest feature, Dr Pirkko Muhonen, Senior Field Application Scientist, Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, shares what’s next for RNA-based medicine post-pandemic.
Read the full article: What’s next for RNA-based medicine post-Covid-19?
The Ukraine conflict – The challenge for pharma
The devastating war in Ukraine has been continually in the headlines since Russia’s invasion of the country in February. It is no surprise then that one of our most read articles discusses what role, if any, the pharmaceutical industry should play in the conflict.
James Tyrrell, Chair, Global Health, APCO Worldwide, assesses the pharmaceutical industry’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its ramifications on the sector.
Read the full article: The Ukraine conflict – The challenge for pharma
Expert perspective: 2022 challenges and opportunities
In this popular article from early in the year, DDW’s Megan Thomas speaks to decision-makers from the drug discovery industry about their predictions for what 2022 holds for our sector.
Patient-centric clinical trials, genomics, lab automation and AI all feature strongly, indicating that the experts may have been pretty accurate in their forecasts.
Read the full article: Expert perspective: 2022 challenges and opportunities
Sitting down with… Dr Michael Hayden, Prilenia Therapeutics
Dr Michael Hayden’s early encounters and experience with patients and families suffering from Huntington’s Disease has had a significant personal impact that shaped his career. In this article from January 2022, he tells Lu Rahman why he has dedicated his career to advancing research into this and other neurodegenerative diseases.
This article from the Winter 21/22 issue is available to read online or as a podcast.
Read (or listen to) the full article: Sitting down with… Dr Michael Hayden, Prilenia Therapeutics
Can cannabis and mushroom-based products eliminate colon cancer cells?
The potential of plant-based medicines, and particularly those based on extracts from cannabis or mushrooms, is a topic of continued interest and debate.
This news story reports on cell model study results from biomedical company Cannabotech showing that its ‘integrative-colon’ products killed over 90% of colon cancer cells.
Read the full story: Can cannabis and mushroom-based products eliminate colon cancer cells?
Basel: A centre for ground-breaking oncology
Over recent years, a number of bio-innovation hubs have emerged around the world and Basel is becoming one of the most important.
In this article from the Fall 2022 issue of Drug Discovery World, Dr Stephan Emmerth and Paul Eschmann, Basel Area Business & Innovation, explain the benefits of being based in Basel, such as the talent pool, global players, academic institutions and investors.
Read the full article: Basel: a centre for ground-breaking oncology
The challenges and trends of cell & gene therapies
As our experts correctly predicted (see no.5), cell and gene therapies have played a huge role in the drug discovery sector this year.
In an article featured in our Cell and Gene Therapy eBook, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong looks at the cell and gene therapy landscape, examining the challenges facing developers and the trends we can expect to see throughout the year.
Read the full article: The challenges and trends of cell & gene therapies
Target product profiles and strategies for drug development
A target product profile played a key role in the development of the Covid-19 vaccines.
In a popular online exclusive article, Hettie Stroebel, Founder and CEO of Launch Excellence, looks at how target product profiles can be used by life sciences companies as a strategy for more effective product development.
Read the full article: Target product profiles and strategies for drug development
