The initiative gives researchers practical insight into drug development and opportunities to build industry connections that can accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into new therapies.
Image credit:© iStock.com, DrAfter123
Sixteen years ago, David Adler was beginning his independent research career at the University Hospital Bonn, where he served as chief scientific and medical officer at the PATHORA Institute of Pathology and Tissue Medicine. During that period, he learned that someone he had been close to in high school had died from glioblastoma. Adler, whose work focused on cancer, struggled to reconcile the loss with the fact that, despite decades of oncology research and investment, no treatment was available for the disease. “At the time, I understood the science and the medicine, but I did not understand what it took to move a drug from discovery into the clinic and make it available to patients,” he said.
Adler is among many researchers who lack practical knowledge of the steps required to translate a discovery into a clinical treatment. Recent estimates suggest that the journey from first-in-human studies to regulatory approval can take fewer than five years or more than 20. To gain a deeper understanding of the bench-to-bedside process, Adler moved from academia into the pharmaceutical industry in 2015.
After spending years in the academic and pharmaceutical industry settings, David Adler is leading an initiative in Israel that aims to bridge the gap between discovery and drug development.
David Adler
Adler now leads an initiative designed to help other scientists understand this process. By combining coursework, networking, and a strategic task force, the program seeks to connect academic researchers with industry professionals and accelerate the movement of promising discoveries into the clinic.
Developing a Drug-Development Mindset
Adler says academia and pharmaceutical development are deeply interconnected, even though they often operate as separate worlds. “It is striking to me because much of the research, knowledge, and ideas used by pharmaceutical companies originate in academia,” he said.
To bring these fields closer together, Adler created a program that introduces researchers with translational potential to the “pharmaceutical development lens.” The three-stage initiative will provide practical training in drug development, create opportunities to build professional networks, and connect researchers with leaders from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
The first stage is a pharmaceutical research and development course established in partnership with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Its initial segment is scheduled to take place at the universities in early 2027 and will feature interactive lectures from pharmaceutical and biotechnology representatives. These sessions will examine the decisions behind therapies that advanced through early clinical development. A second segment, planned for the second semester of 2027, will cover later stages of drug development, including registration and commercialization.
According to Adler, the classes will be limited to a small group of researchers at various career stages. Beyond offering practical insight into drug development, the course will expose early-career scientists to potential career paths outside traditional academic research. “I wanted master’s and PhD students to see that a career in pharma or biotech may be an option for them,” he said. The initiative will also help participants develop professional relationships with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
The final stage seeks to establish a “Pharma-Academic Strategic Task Force” at participating universities. Composed of academic researchers and pharmaceutical industry leaders, the task force will evaluate promising discoveries with potential for clinical translation. Teams behind selected discoveries would then be matched with biotech or pharmaceutical partners to advance their work. “Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are often eager to collaborate with academia,” Adler said, noting the strong interest among industry participants.
From Cancer to Broader Therapeutic Areas
The initiative will initially focus on cancer, drawing on Adler’s expertise and his professional networks in academic and industry settings. He hopes to expand it to other therapeutic areas marked by critical unmet medical needs, including diabetes and obesity.
If the pilot succeeds, Adler wants research-intensive countries that struggle to convert biomedical discoveries into medicines to consider similar approaches. He believes the model could increase the number of discoveries that become treatments while strengthening partnerships between academia and the pharmaceutical industry.
Whether the initiative will achieve its goals remains uncertain, but Adler is eager to begin and assess its impact. “Will strengthening the links among pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, and academia eventually make a difference?” he said. “That is exactly what we hope this initiative will help us determine.”
