Annual Reflections And Predictions From The Editors' Roundtable
By Ray Dogum, Chief Editor, Drug Discovery Online
Welcome to 2026!
It’s still incredible to me that I can remember the turn of the millennium. My understanding of drugs back then was quite laughable – don’t do them or else you’ll irreversibly fry your brain like your morning breakfast.
Trust me, I’ve learned a lot in the last 25 years, and so has the entire life sciences field. From RNA-based therapies to curative cell & gene applications, it’s been quite a ride for anyone who has been in the space that long. Our ability to organize as teams remotely (often globally) to discover, test, and manufacture increasingly complex drugs keeps improving.
We lived through a global pandemic, funding droughts, and we are currently experiencing major institutional leadership and policy changes. We can only speculate as to what these changes will do in the long-term for early-stage drug researchers. In the short-term, I like to believe you have greater control over how far your drug programs can go.
In case you missed it, I covered the top discovery highlights of the 2025 and how you can be best prepared for 2026.
Inaugural Life Science Connect Editors’ Roundtable
Additionally, I had the honor of joining the Better Biopharma podcast for a special edition episode: the inaugural Life Science Connect Editors’ Roundtable, hosted by Tyler Menichiello. I was joined by an incredible group of chief editors from across the Life Science Connect ecosystem to reflect on 2025 and share our outlook for 2026. The roundtable featured:
- Tyler Menichiello, Chief Editor, Bioprocess Online and host of Better Biopharma podcast
- Katie Anderson, Chief Editor, Pharmaceutical Online
- Jeff Buguliskis, Ph.D., Deputy Chief Editor, Outsourced Pharma
- Ben Comer, Chief Editor, Life Science Leader and host of The Business Of Biotech podcast
- Erin Harris, Chief Editor, Cell & Gene and host of Cell & Gene: The Podcast
- Anna Rose Welch, Chief Editor, Advancing RNA
Our specialized communities allow us to dive deep into complex topics, providing readers with insights that go beyond headlines.
I hope you enjoy our fun and informative chat, available on: YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast. Perfect listening for your commute to work or trip to JPM 2026 in San Francisco next week. And of course, let us know what you think of our predictions for the year.
Looking Forward to the Next Quarter Century
It’s my view that the next quarter century will bring such great discovery opportunities that our drug approval rate-limiting factor will be our ability to fund the wet-lab experiments needed to prove or disprove quantum-level AI-based hypotheses. I imagine clinical trials will look dramatically different in 2050 (at least I hope so).
Many readers of Drug Discovery Online have a specific interest in learning about the latest therapeutic technology advancements, the discovery tools needed to magnify what’s really going on in our bodies, and entrepreneurial prowess to deliver breakthroughs to the public.
Understanding the full scope of the industry has never been more critical. Drug discovery is not just about molecules. It’s about navigating regulatory landscapes, leveraging emerging technologies, and anticipating market dynamics. By focusing on the intersection of science, strategy, and innovation, we aim to help industry leaders make informed decisions that accelerate progress and reduce risk.