Perspectives: CEB New Drug Discovery

Abstract

New drug, and particularly CEB new drug, discovery will continue as long as there are cardiovascular diseases to be treated. In the next few years, maybe even decades, the drugs will be designed to relieve the symptoms of disease. At sometime in the not too distant future, however, cardiovascular drugs will be designed to prevent or cure disease. Current drugs have had an important role in decreasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality ^{1096, 1392, 1393, 1394, 1395, 1396)} and will continue to do so as even more effective drugs are introduced. As the population lives longer the kinds of drugs which are developed may change. As we deal with a finite life expectancy it is assumed that each cardiovascular organ/tissue has a fixed life expectancy with genetic factors determining the upper limits and diet, exercise (or work), stress (physical, mental or chemical) and injury determining the lower limits. It is also reasonable to assume that life encompasses a continuance of change, first maturative then degenerative, which is limited by failure of the weakest link (organ or tissue). Cardiovascular drugs which will prolong life (limited by cardiovascular failure) will necessarily address the weakest link, and then the next and so on. Ultimately, with ideal therapeutic support, the pump (heart) and the conduits (blood vessels) responsible for the delivery of oxygen and removal waste will outlive the cells they are supporting. Until that time, new drug discovery scientists must address the practical problems of where to look for useful new drugs with somewhat more modest expectations.