Publishers announce changes, broader focus for DDNEWS

By Bruce Poorman, DDNEWS Publisher
and Laurence Doyle, DDNEWS Associate Publisher

As you pick up our latest issue, you can see there issomething new about ddn. Our frontcover this month shows a change, but it is more about ddn continuing to evolve with the news of the changing technologyin pharma, biotech and life-science research.

In 2005, we launched DrugDiscovery News. That was during a time when there were several otherpublications with discovery and genomics-related titles, and we were positionedas a business news publication covering the pharmaceutical industry. As thenews and market evolved, in 2007 we updated our title to the acronym ddn to better identify our growing coveragebeyond just discovery to include the development, diagnostic and drug deliverystages of the pipeline.

Now in our ninth year, with 12 news vehicles, our coveragecontinues to evolve further up the pipeline, and we are bringing you not onlythe news of mergers, acquisitions, regulations and collaborations, but alsoproviding breaking stories with broader perspectives about technologies andmarket developments that impact our readers from the bench to the boardroom inpharma, biotech and life science.

The most visual change is our new front cover design. Ournew logo continues to be anchored to our ddnbranding, but emphasizes our unique position in the market as delivering NEWS.News is what defines and sets us apart from other publications as we followpharma, biotech and life-science research. With our new design comes a new,easy-to-remember URL address: www.DDN-News.com.

Our readership is involved with basic and applied researchthroughout the pipeline as demonstrated by a recent survey that confirms ddn as being "the bridge from discoveryto clinical trials." This study conducted over the ddn subscriber list showed that 58 percent of researchers wereinvolved in discovery and development; 24 percent are involved in diagnosticsand clinical trials and 11 percent are involved in QA/QC in manufacturing.

With a new focus showing a balance between business andtechnology, you will find stories of broader interest that ask importantquestions, as in some of the stories you will read this month: With pharmacompanies clinging to the patent cliff, how important will R&Dcollaborations become? What are some of the unique challenges facing clinicaltrials in oncology? Why are some important diagnostic developments notreceiving the attention and credit they deserve?

To continue our broader coverage, our July issue willinclude the first of a three-part feature on trends in stem cell research. TheJuly through September issues of DDNEWSwill examine the pluripotential possibilities inherent in stem cells, whetheras the bases of technologies aimed at improving our understanding of humanhealth or as direct therapeutic mechanisms to fight disease. July's specialfeature will tackle the arduous challenges of identifying and maintaining stemcell stocks as parts of vast biorepositories.

In August, we will examine the use of stem cells as researchtools both as a passive template upon which new therapeutics are developed, andas active participants in the search for a broader understanding ofpathophysiology. September's issue will conclude the series with a discussionof the roles that stem cells are playing as treatments for human disease aseither unmodified replacements for defective biological systems or tweakedagents tackling difficult medical challenges.

As much as this June issue signifies change, it also marks the evolutionof our news coverage through the pipeline of drug discovery, development,diagnostics and delivery. We are still ddnand our mission remains the same: to deliver the balanced news of pharma, biotechand life-science business and technology. We are DDNEWS.