WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, RAGESOSS
Developing new medicines is tricky business, requiring sound science, regulatory savvy, and marketing skills. The past year has seen success and failure in all these realms. Here, The Scientist recounts some of the noteworthy drug developments of 2011.
Notable Drug Approvals:
First new lupus drug in 52 years
After more than 18 years of development, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug to treat lupus in more than a half-century. Benlysta (belimumab) is a human monoclonal antibody, produced by Human Genome Sciences and GlaxoSmithKline, that cuts B-cells proliferation, a proposed mechanism underlying the autoimmune disorder. The once-monthly injectable drug has limited efficacy, reducing the symptoms of 43 percent of patients compared to 34 percent of those on placebo in a Phase ...
