UMBC Professor Hopes His New NIH-Funded Research Can Speed up the Drug Approval Process
Chengpeng Chen hopes that his research at UMBC can create a more accurate model of how human organs work, making it easier for drug companies in Baltimore and beyond to earn FDA approval.
Courtesy of UMBC
By Matt Hooke – Reporter // October 10, 2022, 07:32am EDT
A University of Maryland, Baltimore County professor hopes to rapidly speed up the drug approval process, making it easier for drugs to get to market and help patients.
In August, Chengpeng Chen earned a five-year, $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create a new way to model how drugs will impact human organs, starting with the liver. The device would shorten the time it takes to get U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval by providing a more accurate view of how drugs impact the human body than current testing methods. Baltimore is a hub for medical research, with several area pharmaceutical companies, such as MIRA1a Therapeutics and Alphyn Biologics earning substantial funding rounds. A faster way to get through the FDA approval process could be a boon to the local economy, helping companies get to market sooner to start earning profits.
“It takes over a billion dollars and about 10 to 15 years for a new drug to be developed,” Chen said. “And a lot of the problem lies in pre-clinical studies.”
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