Catching the Eye of Pharma

Derek Lowe is intrigued by NIH's latest announcement that it is beginning a preclinical drug discovery endeavor for rare diseases and says that it'll be a good learning experience for researchers to see the difficulties involved in getting a drug through the development process. He adds that the NIH, judging by its release, is clear-eyed about the process. "If they can get some things to the point that a company or foundation is willing to take on the (now somewhat reduced) risks, that'll be great," Lowe says. The Wall Street Journal's Health Blog adds that NIH will be spending about $24 million per year to get these potential drugs through the preclinical stage.