I found this fascinating reference while researching the definition of "translational medicine". Be sure to check out the Browse Articles page, and Weblinks.


"Journal of Translational Medicine is an Open Access, peer-reviewed online journal focussing on information derived from human experimentation so as to optimise the communication between basic and clinical science..."


Journal of Translational Medicine/link:
http://www.translational-medicine.com/info/about/

One of the articles I found in the Journal of Translational Medicine:

Translational Medicine: A Two-Way Road
http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/1/1/1

Am I missing something here?

Aren't most clinical trial drugs developed by and patented to pharmaceutical companies?

I honestly can't see any pharmaceutical company agreeing to have details of its failed or even successful trials on open access.

Or have I misunderstood the aim of this journal?

Cara, on the surface the mission of this journal seems contradictory to advancing new therapies to the point of use in the clinical setting, but really what is being attempted by publishing these scientific papers, whether results are encouraging or not, is to encourage other scientists to study reasons for failure and hopefully learn from them and possibly be able to modify a treatment so that it is successful in the future rather than abandoning a treatment that may well be beneficial down the road for the current "flavor of the month". Indeed, this is the gist of a conversation I had last month at University of Washington with one of the Senior Fellows, regarding Dr. Disis' belief in the Her2 vaccine, and dedication to proving that the vaccine WOULD work in humans. She's basically devoted her academic career to this vaccine, and now it's in Phase I-II trials.
Also, I think the journal is worth keeping an eye on because we may well see the early papers on treatments that make it into trial, and hopefully have a "heads up".

<3,
Lolly