2024, another great year for drug approvals

As we close out 2024, it’s remarkable to look back at what has been another successful year for translational science and drug discovery. With 50 novel drug approvals, the pace of innovation has remained strong.

These approvals highlight a continuing evolution in precision medicine, novel modalities, and our collective commitment to tackling some of the world’s most challenging diseases. 

At Euretos, we specialize in empowering researchers with the tools to accelerate target discovery, assessment, and safety evaluation. Reflecting on the trends in 2024’s approvals, several themes stand out:

Diversity in Therapeutic Areas

This year’s approvals have targeted a wide range of conditions, showcasing the breadth of unmet medical needs being addressed. Leading therapeutic areas include:

• Oncology: A standout category with approvals for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and unresectable cancers, reflecting advancements in targeted therapies.
• Rare Diseases: Treatments for familial chylomicronemia syndrome, Niemann-Pick disease, and classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia illustrate a growing focus on orphan drugs, aligning with regulatory incentives to drive innovation in underserved areas.
• Cystic Fibrosis: A new triple-combination therapy approval marked another leap forward for individuals living with this chronic condition.

The variety demonstrates the industry’s commitment to addressing both prevalent and niche diseases, fueled by improved understanding of molecular pathways and advanced data analytics.

Spotlight on Novel Modalities

Innovative drug modalities are shaping the therapeutic landscape:

• Multi-Component Therapies: Approvals like vanzacaftor/tezacaftor/deutivacaftor for cystic fibrosis underscore the value of combination strategies that target multiple aspects of disease biology.
• Biologics: Antibodies and RNA-targeting therapies, such as olezarsen, continue to rise as powerful tools for disease modulation.
• Precision Medicine: Many approvals, particularly in oncology, highlight the shift toward highly personalized treatments driven by biomarker data.

These advances emphasize the importance of integrating multi-omics data and computational tools in the discovery process—a core capability we offer to our partners.

Notable Trends

• Accelerated Approval Pipelines: Nearly half of this year’s approvals were supported by breakthrough designations or priority reviews, demonstrating the FDA’s dedication to expediting life-saving therapies.

• Monthly Peaks in Approvals: Approvals peaked in March and April, correlating with major medical conferences—an indicator of how real-world evidence and collaborations are driving regulatory readiness.
• Focus on Patient-Centric Outcomes: From gene therapies to advanced biologics, patient outcomes and quality of life were clearly front and center in many new therapies. This signals a broader shift in how success is measured, going beyond efficacy to include safety and convenience.

Looking Ahead

2024 has been a testament to the power of data-driven research and collaboration. At Euretos, we are proud to support the scientific community in uncovering novel targets, de-risking drug candidates, and optimizing safety profiles. By implementing new advancements in AI, machine learning, and computational biology, 2025 promises to push the boundaries of drug discovery even further. Stay tuned for exciting announcements!

We extend our congratulations to all the teams behind this year’s successes and look forward to continuing this important work together. Let’s build on this momentum and transform even more lives in the year ahead.