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Why is it hard to terminate failing projects in pharmaceutical R&D?

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Abstract

'Quick-kill' strategies in pharmaceutical research and development aim to reduce late-stage attrition by bringing project termination decisions forward, to an earlier point in the process. How can the barriers to implementing such strategies be overcome?

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References

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank G. Cordes, who first preached 'The Will to Kill'. D.W.L. and J.D.I. were supported by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre based at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and Newcastle University. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, the UK Department of Health, F. Hoffmann la Roche, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis or any of the pharmaceutical companies for which the authors have worked or consulted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Research & Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Centre, Welwyn, AL7 1TW, UK

    Richard W. Peck

  2. Institute of Cellular Medicine, Framlington Place, Newcastle University, NE2 4HH, UK

    Dennis W. Lendrem, B. Clare Lendrem & John D. Isaacs

  3. Phruitful Consulting, Newcastle, NE1 7RD, UK

    Iain Grant

Authors
  1. Richard W. Peck
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  2. Dennis W. Lendrem
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  3. Iain Grant
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  4. B. Clare Lendrem
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  5. John D. Isaacs
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dennis W. Lendrem.

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Competing interests

Richard W. Peck is a full-time employee of Roche Products Ltd, holds shares and options with F. Hoffman La Roche and holds shares in Eli Lilly & Co. Ltd. Dennis W. Lendrem and Iain Grant have prior consulting interests with a number of pharmaceutical companies. B. Clare Lendrem and John D. Isaacs have no competing interests.

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Peck, R., Lendrem, D., Grant, I. et al. Why is it hard to terminate failing projects in pharmaceutical R&D?. Nat Rev Drug Discov 14, 663–664 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd4725

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