Nonclinical Testing

Abstract

In the pharmaceutical development arena, Drucker’s quotation represents one of the biggest challenges to be faced. One can set up many great plans and strategies, but until they are set in motion they remain abstract. Planning is one of the key steps for efficiently leading a project to a successful completion and its importance has long been recognized in many disciplines besides pharmaceutical development. Although the plan itself does not constitute a guarantee for a successful outcome, it maximizes the chances of success while attempting to minimize unexpected and unnecessary detours. Success in the pharmaceutical development process is often measured by the ability of a company to discover compounds with promising therapeutic effects and, through efficient testing in animals and humans, learn enough about their properties so they can be used in a manner such that the observed benefits outweigh the potential risks to the patient. From a business perspective, with efficiency being the key to survival, success is most often measured by the company’s ability to reach its destination in the most expeditious manner while using the fewest resources and without compromising the quality of the essential information gathered along the process.

Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.

— Peter F. Drucker