Pharmaceutical research

Abstract

The development of new drugs is driven by the effective use and application of novel technologies, such as molecular biology and pharmacology, highly developed methods in chemical analysis and synthesis as well as powerful computational systems and robotic machines. Nowadays, the process is focused and based on the growing knowledge about molecular principles and processes as opposed to the phenomenological approach of former times. The molecular description of a disease enables the targeted development of a drug substance that constitutes the central ingredient of a marketed medicine or drug. All active drug substances are chemical compounds – in other words, molecules that interact with other (bio)molecules (e. g. enzymes and receptors) in the body to ensure the desired efficacy. The active drug substances are mixed with excipients and other ingredients in order to obtain the optimal application form, e. g. a tablet, an injection or a drinkable liquid. The development of a new drug takes 12–14 years from early research to market entry, with overall industry success rates of below 1%; the costs per commercialised drug prior to market entry are in the range of 900 million to more than 1 billion euros.