With pharmaceutical companies shrinking their research departments and exiting out of efforts related to unprofitable diseases, society has become increasingly dependent on academic institutions to perform drug discovery and early-stage translational research. Academic drug discovery and translational research programs assist in shepherding promising therapeutic opportunities through the so-called valley of death in the hope that a successful new drug will result in saved lives, improved health, economic growth, and financial return. We have interviewed directors of 16 such academic programs in the United States and found that these programs and the projects therein face numerous challenges in reaching the clinic, including limited funding, lack of know-how, and lack of a regional drug development ecosystem. If these issues can be addressed through novel industry partnerships, the revision of government policies, and expanded programs in translational education, more effective new therapies are more likely to reach patients in need.

中文翻译：

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在死亡之谷生存：翻译学术毒品发现的机遇与挑战。

随着制药公司缩减其研究部门并退出与无利可图的疾病相关的工作，社会越来越依赖于学术机构来进行药物发现和早期转化研究。学术上的药物发现和转化研究计划通过所谓的死亡之谷，帮助开拓有希望的治疗机会，希望成功的新药物将挽救生命，改善健康，经济增长和财务回报。我们采访了美国16个此类学术计划的主任，发现这些计划及其中的项目在进入诊所时面临许多挑战，包括资金有限，缺乏专门知识以及缺乏区域性药物开发生态系统。