Abstract

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a global pandemic with approximately 350 million patients worldwide, driven largely by increasing prevalence of obesity. Multiple options exist for treatment of the primary disease and the array of associated cardiovascular disorders. Nonetheless, the majority of patients do not reach recommended glycemic goals, and there is an urgent need for more efficacious, cost-effective and safe therapies. The regulatory hurdle for new drugs is sizable and challenged by the specific requirement for cardiovascular mortality study. Given the magnitude of the challenges, highly collaborative efforts involving academia, biotech, pharma, regulatory agencies, patient advocacy groups and other key stakeholders are required to identify and advance new therapies that are substantially differentiated from current disease management. The major goals of this meeting are to: 1) Define the distance between current therapy relative to what is most needed to address successfully the near-term challenges of the disease and the wave of later-stage disease-specific complications; 2) Communicate the most important scientific advances in metabolic diseases with the intimate details that often escape peer-review publication and are seminal to drug R&D; and 3) Create opportunities for candid discussion among key stakeholders (academia, biotech, industry, regulatory, venture community, etc.) to identify new business processes, along with new science to streamline the successful conversion of ideas to medicines. Is it anticipated that the perspectives and science presented at this meeting, together with multiple platforms for discussion and interaction, will facilitate the identification of collaborations and opportunities for the discovery of transformative treatment of diabetes and related disorders. The meeting will be uniquely led by experienced drug-hunters with world-class academic credentials to help foster the translation of basic science to breakthrough therapeutics. We anticipate that this meeting will be of interest to a broad and diverse group of individuals interested in drug discovery and cost-effective development with an emphasis on quality, speed and value.