Industry–Academic Relationship in a New Era of Drug Discovery

The pharmaceutical industry is entering a renewed period of productivity as a result of advances in the understanding of human biology, particularly in the areas of genetics and immunology. The relationship between industry and academia needs to evolve to maximize the opportunity. In four areas-target identification, the molecule itself, experimental medicine, and larger-scale clinical testing-there are specific needs for academic partnerships that should be open and transparent and include talent, skills, and career development.