[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Douglas_Frank.jpeg” caption=”Frank L. Douglas, executive director of MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation.”]Have you ever thought about the process involved in testing, assessing and approving a drug for public use? Bringing a drug to market can involve extensive costly steps that could take 12 to 15 years of development. It is estimated that the cost involved can surpass $1 billion U.S. and yet only one third of pharmaceuticals successfully brought to market achieve profitability.

Find out more at the 28th Annual Bell Canada lecture about the struggle to achieve success in this challenging field. Frank L. Douglas, Ph.D., M.D., executive director of MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation (Cambridge, MA) has been invited to McMaster to address 'Drugability Issues in Drug Discovery and Development.'

This free public lecture will take place Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. in HSC/1A1.

Douglas will present three to four examples of drugs, of different classes, in which target validation, optimization of clinical safety or regulatory hurdles were encountered and the strategies that were used to address these hurdles. The classes of drugs will include an antibiotic, an antihistamine and a cardiovascular compound.

Click here to find out more about Douglas and his topic of discussion.

In 1978, the Faculty of Engineering, and its Communications Research Laboratory, established the series of lectures in honour of Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone. The intention of this lecture series was part of the 20th anniversary celebration of engineering at McMaster University. This lecture is presented annually by outstanding speakers on a topic in information and emerging technologies that is of interest to both the members of the University community and the general public.