COVID-19 and the neurological disease therapeutic pipeline

Abstract

From the interruption of clinical trials by shelter-in-place orders to the challenges involved in safely collecting biofluid samples, drug development for neurological disease was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic this year. However, the field has responded with innovative solutions, and 2021 could see the therapeutic pipeline flowing again.

Fig. 1. Potential delays in the pipeline for neurological therapeutic development resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Time required for each stage of clinical therapeutic development and the potential impact of COVID-19 on the developmental timeline based on the observed effects of the pandemic so far. Direct COVID-19 impact is a reality, and will extend the timeline for preclinical research and all phases of subsequent development for ongoing trials by a year or more, depending on the duration of the pandemic. If delays, potential need for repetition of studies and reduced likelihood of research engagement remain problematic over the longer term, an average 15-year development programme could double to more than 30 years for drugs that are currently in the early preclinical phase.