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Drug discovery and development: Biomarkers of neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration
Abigail L Walker1, Syed Z Imam2, Ruth A Roberts3,4
11 Brain Science Masters Programme, Department of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
Impact Statement:
Attrition in drug discovery and development remains a major challenge. Safety/toxicity is the most prevalent reason for failure with cardiovascular and CNS toxicities predominating. Non-invasive biomarkers of neurotoxicity would provide significant advantage by allowing earlier prediction of likely neurotoxicity in preclinical studies as well as facilitating clinical trials of new therapies for neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Insights
Developing non-invasive biomarkers for neurotoxicity is crucial for drug discovery. Early prediction of central nervous system (CNS) toxicity can reduce drug development failures and aid neurodegenerative disease research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Drug Development
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Drug discovery faces high attrition rates, with safety and toxicity being primary causes of failure.
- Cardiovascular and central nervous system (CNS) toxicities are predominant reasons for drug candidate rejection.
- Current methods for assessing neurotoxicity are often invasive or lack predictive power in early development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical need for non-invasive biomarkers to predict neurotoxicity during drug discovery and development.
- To emphasize the potential of such biomarkers in improving the success rate of new therapies.
- To discuss the application of these biomarkers in preclinical studies and clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases.
Main Methods:
- Review of current challenges in drug safety and toxicity assessment.
- Analysis of the impact of CNS toxicity on drug development attrition.
- Exploration of the advantages of non-invasive biomarker strategies.
Main Results:
- Safety/toxicity is the leading cause of attrition in drug development.
- Non-invasive biomarkers offer a significant advantage for early neurotoxicity prediction.
- Biomarkers can facilitate clinical trials for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.
Conclusions:
- Non-invasive neurotoxicity biomarkers are essential for efficient drug discovery.
- Early identification of CNS toxicity can mitigate development failures.
- Biomarkers will accelerate the development of treatments for neurological disorders.
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