The process of drug discovery takes 10-15 years and costs about 1 billion dollars. The failure rate throughout the process is colossal, thus forcing the industry to be conservative – using well-established paths as well as focusing on the safety net of ‘me-too’ drugs, mimicking drugs that have already been approved. (For example – look at the number of approved erectile dysfunction drugs.) Yet, the pharmaceutical industry is full of highly innovative and creative individuals who want to impact patient health. Is there a place for academia to help with drug discovery? Is it our role? Professor Mochly-Rosen will talk briefly about the process of drug discovery and development and provide her thoughts on why it is so expensive and difficult. She will also describe some ideas that we are currently exploring at Stanford to develop drugs based on our own research.

Daria Mochly-Rosen is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Systems Biology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Her research led to several clinical trials using drugs that were discovered in her laboratory at Stanford.

This lecture will take place at 7:00 pm on the lawn adjacent to Stanford's Cantor Arts Center.