We found an academic paper from 2003 that suggests that most advances in psoriasis treatment come about by happenstance. Perhaps the psoriasis research budget should be disbursed at random to scientists in all fields. (The article’s timeline stops before biologics.)
Most new treatments for psoriasis for more than 100 years have been discovered through serendipity and not through scientific design. … We contest that the art of medicine is the prime innovator for radical new therapeutic advances, whereas the science of medicine is responsible for slow incremental change. …Dermatology is not alone in its reliance on serendipity for advancement of treatments, this can broadly be said of all medical science. Surely the greatest advancement in medicine in the twentieth century was the discovery of antibiotics, that would not have occurred if Fleming had been more meticulous in laboratory cleanliness. That is not to underestimate the genius of many of medicine’s forefathers but to celebrate their exploitation of serendipity. In the future should we invest in specific drug development programs or just give the money to various scientists and clinicians to allow them to satisfy their own curiosity. History would suggest that the latter option may be more rewarding!
What do you think? Comments are open, below….
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