Barriers to Alzheimer disease drug discovery and drug development in the pharmaceutical industry.

The drug development process in the pharmaceutical industry has evolved from separate programs, specific for each country, into one coordinated, global development scheme. As a result, such a development program must meet regulatory requirements for all countries in which approval for the new drug will be sought. Barriers to Alzheimer disease (AD) drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry can be categorized as (1) regulatory, (2) logistical, and (3) drug development issues. Some of the regulatory barriers could be overcome by international harmonization of guidelines for the development of antidementia drugs. The logistical issues can be reduced through international collaboration in the conduct of clinical studies, and the developmental issues can be addressed by using an expedited drug development plan that not only can reduce the time but also the resources required to develop the drug.