Translational semantics and infrastructure: another search for the emperor's new clothes?

The successful transition of drug-like new chemical entities from discovery to clinical trials coupled with real-time feedback from the latter represents a key element for success in drug discovery. Now designated as T1 translational medicine, this process has, similar to other recent solutions to improve productivity, been hyped as a novel discipline, despite the fact that many of its component activities have existed in the pharmacological sciences for many decades. Instead of proselytizing translational medicine, the priority is to improve the quality of the science and decision-making processes involved in advancing compounds to ensure that what is translated has value.