Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
08:58
A Benchtop Approach to the Location Specific Blood Brain Barrier Opening using Focused Ultrasound in a Rat Model
Published on: June 13, 2020
CNS drug development in Europe--past progress and future challenges
1Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Neurobiology of Disease
|May 21, 2013
Summary
Innovation in psychotropic medicines is declining due to low reimbursement and R&D cost recovery challenges. Policy reforms are needed to incentivize the development of new mental disorder treatments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Health Economics
Background:
- Mental illnesses present a significant societal burden, exceeding that of cancers and cardiovascular conditions.
- Despite progress, EU health systems face unmet needs in mental healthcare.
- Psychotropic medicines face unique challenges in demonstrating value and cost-effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the challenges and declining incentives for innovation in psychotropic medicines.
- To propose policy interventions to improve R&D investment in mental disorder treatments.
- To advocate for an integrated EU approach to foster innovation across the R&D and market phases.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of current R&D investment trends in psychotropic medicines.
- Evaluation of policy interventions ('push' incentives, streamlining, 'market pull').
- Review of challenges in demonstrating added value and cost estimation for psychotropic drugs.
Main Results:
- Valuable incremental innovations may fail to recover R&D costs due to low reimbursement prices.
- Leading companies are withdrawing from R&D in mental disorders, risking capability loss.
- Current policy interventions alone are insufficient to reverse the decline in investment incentives.
Conclusions:
- An integrated EU policy model is needed, encompassing research, development, and market phases.
- Addressing weak 'market pull incentives' is crucial for sustained innovation.
- Failure to reform policy risks a 'desert' for psychotropic medicine innovation, similar to antibiotics in the 1990s.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Preclinical Development: Overview
Preclinical development consists of a series of tests that ensure the safety and efficacy of a new therapeutic compound before it is tested in humans. There are four main phases to this process. First, safety pharmacology tests are conducted to ensure the drug does not produce any acutely harmful effects. These tests examine parameters such as bronchoconstriction, cardiac dysrhythmias, blood pressure changes, and ataxia. Next, preliminary toxicological testing is performed to determine the...
01:11Clinical Trials: Overview
Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
01:26Drug Discovery: Overview
Drug discovery is a multifaceted process involving extensive screening, testing, and optimization of lead compounds to identify potential new drugs for therapeutic use. It combines several approaches, including screening large numbers of natural products, chemical modification of known active molecules, identification of new drug targets, and rational design based on biological mechanisms and drug-receptor structure. These approaches are carried out in both academic research laboratories and...
01:25Drug Regulation
Drug regulation encompasses the management of drug usage by evaluating its safety and efficacy through assessments conducted by regulatory authorities. Regrettably, the history of drug regulation is marred by several catastrophic events. One such incident is the Elixir Sulfanilamide tragedy, in which the toxic compound diethyl glycol was included in a sweet-tasting medication, leading to numerous fatalities. This event prompted the enactment of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938. Under...
01:26Drug Administration and Therapy Phases: Overview
Drugs, the chemical agents used in diagnosing, treating, or preventing diseases, undergo a four-phase process of development: pharmaceutic, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutic.
The pharmaceutical phase focuses on leveraging the physicochemical properties of the drug to design and manufacture an effective product. Variants include orally administered tablets or capsules, topical creams or ointments, and parenteral-delivery solutions or emulsions.
The pharmacokinetic phase...
The pharmaceutical phase focuses on leveraging the physicochemical properties of the drug to design and manufacture an effective product. Variants include orally administered tablets or capsules, topical creams or ointments, and parenteral-delivery solutions or emulsions.
The pharmacokinetic phase...
01:29Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route
The parenteral route is a critical method of drug administration. It delivers compounds directly into the systemic circulation and bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. This approach is particularly advantageous for drugs that exhibit poor absorption or instability when administered orally.
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...