subject: How Has The Recession Affected Drug Development? [print this page] The UK has been in the grip of a stifling recession since at least 2008, and for the past three years almost every industry within the country has been hit. Of course, this feeling has been felt tenfold in overseas destinations and one of the industries that have been most hard hit is that of drug development, both here in the UK and elsewhere.
The development of new drugs is something that the entire world needs, as cures for illnesses and diseases that cause loss and poor quality of life are desperately required. With the correct research it is believed that many, if not all of, these illnesses can be treated with drugs, but without it nothing can be done.
The main aspect of drug discovery that has been dampened by the recession is funding for research, which was booming in the productive years prior to it. There are now fewer applications for funding grants being accepted by the government, due to having lack of money itself, but if you are currently attempting to begin a drug research and development programme there are ways in which you can seek funding.
One of the most popular ways to do this now is to approach a large company or corporation that has interest in the medical research industry. You will need to have all of your documents in order and be able to pitch your research well, showing the board of directors that your development will be a success. The company will likely assess the financial gain that it will see as a result of your drug, using patent-based drug forecasting and information on the number of patients that are currently seeking medical care in relation to the ailment or illness that your drug will attempt to treat or cure.
There are still a huge number of medical trials on-going within the UK, as well as drugs that are in the discovery and research phases of development. The latest advances in drug discovery have led to possible advances with treatments for Alzheimers, cancer, cystic fibrosis and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), along with many others. Though now much more difficult, drug discovery is still taking place and the medical professionals and scientists that are currently working on these trials and schemes make use of the large databases of research information that is available to them online. All of this data can help throughout the procedure and proves vital in the development of new drugs.
