As a scientist, I often wonder whether we are truly progressing in our quest to find a cure for chronic diseases or merely slowing down their inevitable march. I ask myself whether we are progressing from bench to bedside in the right way and do we have the right tools to get there? For example, with so many new biotech hubs now growing in Europe surely we should embrace the CRDMO approach – an approach pioneered and still led by WuXi AppTec [more on this later].

With the recent advancements in tackling some of the most challenging diseases—Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)—I find myself genuinely excited. These are conditions that have perplexed researchers for decades, and yet, we are on the cusp of therapies that could transform how we treat them.

So while reading through a September series of interviews from WuXi AppTec’s [WXPress], I was struck by just how far we’ve come and felt inspired by what’s still possible when we get the mix of ingredients right. By this, I mean a good blend of new innovations, expertise and capabilities to complete the complex journey of a therapy from bench to patient.

The reason for my newfound optimism: well, there was a time when the notion of reversing neurodegenerative or fibrotic diseases seemed like science fiction. Now, we’re developing therapies that not only halt disease progression but also hold the potential to reverse some of the damage. As a researcher who has spent countless hours in the lab, this feels like a moment of profound accomplishment for the scientific community.

Take Parkinson’s disease, for example. I’ve followed with particular interest the advancements in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the potential they offer. During my PhD, I worked with iPSC-derived hepatocyte-like cells to treat liver injury in mouse models, focusing on engraftment and functional restoration. Reflecting on my own work, I cannot help but draw parallels to the iPSC-based therapies now being developed for Parkinson’s. It’s thrilling to see the same technology I once explored in the lab is now at the forefront of clinical trials and offers real promise in treating neurological diseases.

Similarly, in the case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which affects approximately 150,000 individuals in the United States, the signs of disease reversal have now emerged. Endeavor BioMedicines’ ENV-101 has demonstrated the ability to reverse key markers of lung fibrosis in IPF. The improvements in lung function and architecture seen in clinical trials are unprecedented. IPF is a devastating disease, with a five-year survival rate worse than many cancers. A recent Phase 2a study provided the first evidence of any agent in IPF potentially reversing the disease. This was observed across multiple endpoints, including both lung function and architecture. Having a therapy that can reverse the fibrotic process for the first time offers a glimmer of hope for those affected by this poorly prognostic disease.

Healthy aging has been a huge priority across governments around the world, being addressed fiercely in countries like Singapore and Japan, where vast amounts of public spending are sunk into health solutions for the challenges faced by an aging population. Alzheimer’s disease continues to loom large as populations age, with over 50 million people already affected globally. The global burden of this disease on society and health system resilience is set to rise dramatically, making the advancements we’re seeing even more urgent. As George Vradenburg, founding chairman of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, says in his recent interview, “after over a century of research, we are now seeing the first disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer’s”. These drugs don’t just manage symptoms—they target the underlying pathology to slow the disease’s progression. It’s a small step in the grand scheme of things, but an immensely important one. The potential to intervene earlier in the disease’s course, and stave off symptoms for longer periods, is where I believe the future lies.

CRDMO platforms are the unsung heroes of modern drug development. They bridge the gap between groundbreaking scientific discoveries and the ultimate commercial launch of life-saving therapies, ensuring that innovation reaches the patients who need it most. These organizations are pivotal in advancing new treatments for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, IPF, and beyond. They also open up possibilities to look at more targets at the same time and provides a faster, cleaner and clearer route for ideas to advance. Pharmaceutical science has been historically cumbersome and expensive and in Europe, where the concept of outsourced discovery was initially pioneered, we have been strangely slow in adopting its advantages until recently.

I am more hopeful than ever about the future of medicine. With the advent of new technologies and continued collaboration between biotech companies and CRDMOs, we’re on the brink of therapies that not only slow disease progression but also restore health and function. The next few years hold incredible promise, and I believe that in Europe it’s time we not only embraced these hidden partnering networks but started celebrating them as vital partners.