Research and development in drug innovation: reflections from the 2013 bioeconomy conference in China, lessons learned and future perspectives

The enormous progress biotechnology, bioinformatics and nanotechnology made in recent years provides opportunities and scientific framework for development of biomedicine and constitutes a paradigm shift in pharmaceutical R&D and drug innovation. By analyzing the data and related information at R&D level over the past decades, developmental tendency and R&D patterns were summarized. We found that a growing number of biologics in the pipeline of pharma companies with successful products already in the market though, small molecular entities have primarily dominated drug innovation. Additionally, small/medium size companies will continue to play a key role in the development of small molecule drugs and biologics in a multi-channel integrated process. More importantly, modern and effective R&D strategies in biomedicine development to predict and evaluate efficacy and/or safety of 21st century therapeutics are urgently needed. To face new challenges, developmental strategies were proposed, in terms of molecular targeted medicine, generic drugs, new drug delivery system and protein-based drugs. Under the current circumstances, interdisciplinary cooperation mode and policy related to drug innovation in China were deeply discussed as well.