Further innovation and advances in drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), could be catalyzed by greater cooperation between big pharmaceutical companies and small research programmes, says an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData.

According to Kyle S Nicholson, PharmD, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Neurology, new ideas are constantly needed in this area of medicine, where so many failures in clinical development have been a tremendous disappointment to those working in it.

Nicholson comments: “Big pharmaceutical corporations essentially depend on research at smaller levels to drive their business and expand their portfolios, but they must find a more sustainable strategy for scouting and funding early-stage research to identify better biomarkers.

“By expanding their teams that evaluate the potential of smaller research programmes, beginning early investment in their activities and encouraging investigation into new ideas, the best targets will have a better chance at quickly advancing into clinical trials.”

The analyst adds that big data remains a key topic that is believed will revolutionize drug discovery by unlocking the primary features of disease differentiation between patients, so that therapies will ultimately be targeted to individuals’ needs in order to maximize their chances for response, and possibly recovery.

Nicholson continues: “The integration of data will reveal biological networks that will be utilized to direct patient segmentation and further develop treatment guidelines.

“The key technologies that will drive this research include third-generation DNA sequencing, global mass spectrometry, selected reaction monitoring, peptide protein-capture agents and single-cell analysis.”

Nicholson also states that while it is imperative that larger and smaller players collaborate to facilitate progress in AD and PD drug development, public funding must be provided to reduce the risks involved from a business perspective.

“One of the most problematic areas in the AD drug development process is phase II, where the level of research is associated with a needed investment of up to $25 million, and the success rate is as low as 25%.

“Alleviating development costs will subtract from the list of investors’ worries, and the tax benefits must also be significant for companies willing to invest in projects at an early stage, as this will provide the funding needed to accelerate research and clear regulatory hurdles,” the analyst concludes.

GlobalData is a leading global research and consulting firm offering advanced analytics to help clients make better, more informed decisions every day.