In the past few years, new classes of biologics have revolutionized treatment of autoimmune diseases, especially multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and asthma. Biologics tend to be most effective because they work on specific targets and impact the underlying causes of disease. In addition to new biologics, a number of companies and academic researchers are looking at expanding applications for certain cancer drugs to autoimmune diseases. The rationale behind this is straightforward: both diseases have inflammatory effects and require cytotoxic approaches. However, for all the difficulties scientists have had in understanding cancer, they've had even more in trying to figure out autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases tend to have systemic effects and thus it's hard to pinpoint a single site of disease.

The major generics companies, flush with cash from the recent plethora of patent expirations, are all forging ahead in the proprietary business in order to boost margins and even out the volatile revenues and earnings inherent in their core business. They're pursuing, by and large, strategies that don't take them far from their core expertise and involve reformulating known compounds. Some companies have had moderate success, but weaving together two such disparate businesses is a challenge.

A series of basic research insights around the cell death process called ferroptosis could form the underpinnings of a new class of treatments aimed at drug resistant tumors.