Deep Dive: Research and Development 2025
Every breakthrough in medicine, every new treatment that changes lives, starts with research.
In this R&D-focused edition of Deep Dive, we explore how researchers are navigating innovation in a period of political and regulatory uncertainty, finding creative ways to adapt and push scientific progress forward.
One of the most controversial healthcare topics is vaccines. With challenges to inoculation schedules mounting in the US, we trace the development and impact of several prominent vaccines throughout history. And, with reproductive health for women under intensifying political microscopes, we ask if now is finally the time for male hormonal contraceptives to thrive.
Plus, get to know UCB's Laura Starkie in the edition's 12 Questions With, find out how the FDA's first guidance on AI implementation could impact drugmakers, and discover why the UK is undergoing its biggest clinical trial shake up in decades.
In this issue:
A history of vaccination: How immunisation transformed public health
Explore the transformative history of vaccination, from the first smallpox inoculations to cutting-edge mRNA technology. This in-depth timeline highlights key breakthroughs, the global race for COVID-19 vaccines, and the future of immunisation, including advancements in cancer vaccines.
A tipping point for birth control: As barriers rise, is contraceptive innovation at risk?
As legal barriers and funding restrictions reshape reproductive healthcare, women’s contraceptive research faces setbacks while male birth control gains momentum. Is this a shift towards equity or a sign of deepening disparities?
12 Questions with Laura Starkie
UCB's Target Validation and Tractability department for UK Research, Laura Starkie, discusses what motivates her to work in pharma, industry trends, and how to promote patient-centricity in the workplace.
Financial concerns prevent many patients from participating in clinical trials, limiting diversity and slowing research progress. Here, Greenphire’s Tanya Kogan explores how innovative payment solutions – such as reimbursement, prefunding, and stipends – are helping to remove these barriers.
Regulating the invisible hand: Inside the FDA's AI playbook
The FDA's new draft guidelines for AI in pharmaceutical regulation aim to bring transparency to the "black box" of algorithms. But will this new seven-step framework reshape drug development or just add paperwork?
The UK as clinical trials powerhouse: An overview of MHRA regulatory reforms
The MHRA is on a mission to cement the UK as a powerhouse for clinical research, starting with sweeping changes to clinical trial regulations. But what does this mean for R&D in the nation? Nicole Raleigh reports.
Cheminformatics 101: The science behind smarter drug design
From accelerating drug discovery to optimising materials science, cheminformatics is shaping the future of pharmaceutical innovation. Here, experts from European IP firm Mewburn Ellis break down what this means for drug developers.
Read Deep Dive: Research and Development 2025 in full
pharmaphorum’s digital magazine Deep Dive provides objective, issue-driven views, analysis, high-level interviews and unique research for pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms and the wider healthcare sector. Subscribe to future issues of Deep Dive.
