On the 8th day of Christmas, life science gave to me… world-class R&Ding

We’ve created our very own 12 days of Christmas for the life science sector. Medical Plastics News, Digital Health Age and European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer put a festive feel on the news in 2016

Don’t believe anyone who tells you there are no major discoveries in life science anymore. 2016 finds that to be pure myth.

Kenneth Frazier, CEO of Merck, in a recent reflective comment piece for Forbes, said:

“Around this time last year, Vice President Joe Biden called for a “Moonshot” to cure cancer. Though we have a long way to go, just last month the biopharmaceutical industry unveiled the latest data documenting the effectiveness of medicines that help the body's own immune system attack and defeat invading cancer tumour cells.

“Compared to what we knew only a year ago, these breakthrough treatments now have the potential to provide life-saving value for many patients with lung cancer and other deadly malignancies–treatments that will give millions of people new hope in their future.”

Breakthrough treatments are happening everywhere, from immuno-oncology to HIV research, to antibiotic discovery.

It’s one of the best things about writing on medicine for a living: I get the pleasure of seeing how close we’re getting to curing hitherto presumed incurable problems.

Pioneers in the field of HIV research discovered a patient this year whose blood is reportedly capable of neutralising 98% of the HIV virus strains tested in the lab.

Hailed as a potential ‘weapon to a clinician’s arsenal’, the discovery has led to speculation over the possibility of using the antibodies in drugs, perhaps in combination with antiretrovirals.

And who could forget this year’s discovery of the possible new antibiotic that we’ve been producing all along – in our noses.

Scientists at the University of Tübingen and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) discovered that Staphylococcus lugdunensis which colonises in the human nose produces the previously unknown antibiotic.

As tests on mice have shown, the substance, which has been named Lugdunin, is able to combat multiresistant pathogens, where many classic antibiotics have become ineffective.

There’s so much still to do in world-class R&D. But as 2016 comes to a close, let’s not forget to applaud those who are driving innovation forward. As Frazier’s timely comment concludes:

“When it comes to R&D and drug discovery, long odds should not be a deterrent. Instead, we should recognise that a “failure” can be an important step toward progress. Take, for example, the pursuit of an HIV vaccine. Despite the persistent efforts of some of the world’s best scientists, we have yet to successfully develop a vaccine for this virus.

“Nonetheless, the industry’s sustained commitment to researching HIV has resulted in more than 25 medicines that have transformed this infection from an almost guaranteed death sentence to a manageable chronic illness in many parts of the world.”

“In my role as CEO of Merck, the recent progress in immuno-oncology reminds me of why we and others in our industry must remain committed to the R&D that will produce the cures of the future. As history shows, when we invest in scientific discovery, the sky really is the limit.”