Time to re-engage psychiatric drug discovery by strengthening confidence in preclinical psychopharmacology.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is urgent need for new medications for psychiatric disorders. Mental illness is expected to become the leading cause of disability worldwide by 2030. Yet, the last two decades have seen the pharmaceutical industry withdraw from psychiatric drug discovery after costly late-stage trial failures in which clinical efficacy predicted pre-clinically has not materialised, leading to a crisis in confidence in preclinical psychopharmacology.

Methods

Based on a review of the relevant literature, we formulated some principles for improving investment in translational neuroscience aimed at psychiatric drug discovery.

Results

We propose the following 8 principles that could be used, in various combinations, to enhance CNS drug discovery: (1) consider incorporating

SUBMITTER: Tricklebank MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7945970 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature