The 10 most common diseases account for a massive chunk of the total global burden of disease. But drug developers have for years been moving away from these public health problems, reducing their investments for example in heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease therapies. The billion-dollar price tags and complexity of phase III trials in these settings has just become too off-putting, says Oxford University’s Martin Landray. But it doesn’t need to be that way, he adds.

Interviewed by Asher Mullard

The interview was edited for length and clarity.