Building a stronger foundation for a new century of treatments and cures.

In the past two years, the United States has made a historic investment in biomedical research. But innovative medicines often stall in the pipeline from microscope to market. To deliver the next generation of cures and treatments to help Americans live longer, healthier, and more comfortable lives, strong, strategic partnerships both within government and among government, academe, industry, and nonprofits are needed at every stage of drug development. In this article I describe actual and potential efforts on the part of the US government--including the Biomarkers Consortium and National Institutes of Health Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases program--to work with other stakeholders to advance biomedical research and development.