Demystify Your Disease’s R&D Readiness
Tips for Success
- Scientists performing research to understand a disease process may be associated with the government, a university (academic institutions), a non-profit organization,or pharmaceutical industry.
- If you don’t have anyone with a scientific background in your group as staff or volunteers, consider hiring a graduate student, medical student, postdoc, or fellow who can do the literature search for you and report what they found in an understandable format.
- Consult with your Scientific/Medical Advisory Board about which research or research tools may still be needed. Remember, not everything has to be known before the search for new treatments or a cure begins.
- Developing more than 1 disease model may be necessary and optimal. Again, relying on your scientific and medical advisory board to evaluate this need rather than a researcher asking to be funded to do the research is important.
- Not all emerging therapeutic approaches or technologies will be applicable to your disease and popular press may exaggerate the readiness of a new development. Therefore you may want to review any new developments with your Scientific/Medical Advisory Board or talk to the leading medical researchers working on your disease(s).
Resources
Disease Knowledge
                                                                                                            
                                                            
                                                                                            Research Tools
                                                                                                            
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        How Biomarkers Can Improve the Drug Development Process                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Rare Diseases Registry Program (RaDaR)                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                            
                                                                                            Genetic Therapies
                                                                                                            
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        What is Gene Therapy?                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Human Gene Therapy for Rare Diseases                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes LIVE!: Gene to Therapy: How Individualized Therapies Are Becoming Reality                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        A Guide to Gene Therapy                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Gene Therapy Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        The Science Behind Gene Therapy                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        The FDA's Role in Gene Therapy                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Understanding the Gene Therapy Process and Aftercare                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Life After Gene Therapy                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        What is genome editing?                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        What are genome editing and CRISPR-Cas9?                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        MedlinePlus                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        What is CRISPR-Cas9?                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Wellcome Genome Campus YourGenome                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Somatic Cell Genome Editing                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        CAR T Cells: Engineering Patients’ Immune Cells to Treat Their Cancers                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Cancer Institute (NCI)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                            
                                                                                            Finding Disease and Technology Info
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Creating Alerts: PubMed                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        NIH Library                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        ClinicalTrials.gov                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Library of Medicine (NLM)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        CenterWatch Clinical Trial Listings                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        CenterWatch                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Institutional Review Boards Frequently Asked Questions                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORTER)                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Institutes of Health (NIH)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        List of Registries                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Institutes of Health Clinical Center                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                            
                                                                                            Keeping Up with Advances
                                                                                                            
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Free NIH Email Updates                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Institutes of Health (NIH)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        News & Events for Human Drugs                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        What's New Related to Drugs (CDER New) and other drug-related topics                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Preclinical Innovation                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Core Technologies                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Monthly NCATS e-newsletter                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Receive NCATS Announcements                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Accomplishments in Genomic Medicine                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Genomic Medicine Working Group (GMWG)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        2019 Genomic Medicine Year in Review                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Genomic Medicine Working Group (GMWG)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        News and Events from NCI-funded Research and Programs                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Cancer Institute (NCI)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Genomics and Precision Health Weekly Update                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        PhRMA: Scientific Discoveries                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        PhRMA: Research and Development                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes Latest News                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes Rare Daily                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes Event Hub                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        Global Genes                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Sign Up for NORD Email Updates                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                                
                                                                    
                                                                        Rare Disease Scientific Workshop                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                        EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases                                                                                                                                                    (link)
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
                                                            
                                                                                             
             
             
            