The document summarizes a presentation delivered by Dr. Thomas Insel at the June 2012 COGR meeting, outlining the creation and objectives of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), established in December 2011 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2012. NCATS was designed to accelerate the development, testing, and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics for a broad spectrum of human diseases, with a particular emphasis on innovative methods and technologies, the advancement of biomarkers for precision medicine, and more efficient drug development processes, especially for rare and neglected diseases. The presentation highlights both challenges and opportunities within the translational research pipeline, noting the high rate of drug development failures and the necessity to address unmet therapeutic needs through collaborative, experimental, and process-driven approaches.
Key initiatives discussed include Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) which foster national collaboration among research institutions to streamline clinical research, digital tools such as REDCap and ResearchMatch to facilitate data management and participant recruitment, and targeted programs like Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND), tissue chip technology, and the Tox21 toxicology initiative. Furthermore, the document emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships in drug repurposing, process re-engineering, and reducing barriers within translational research that the private sector may avoid due to risk or low commercial interest. The overall approach outlined by NCATS is one of catalyzing cross-sector collaborations, leveraging data and innovative methodologies, and creating flexible funding and support mechanisms to deliver new therapies more efficiently and effectively to patients in need.
