Drug Discovery - Page 12

Drug discovery is the process through which new candidate medications are discovered and developed. It entails the identification of potential pharmaceutical compounds, followed by the validation of their therapeutic effects and safety profiles. The process often begins with basic research to understand disease mechanisms and identify biological targets, then proceeds to high-throughput screening of chemical libraries for compounds that interact with those targets. Once promising candidates are identified, they undergo a series of preclinical and clinical trials to evaluate their efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. The ultimate goal of drug discovery is to develop effective and safe medications to treat specific diseases or conditions. This multidisciplinary field integrates aspects of biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical research to ensure that new drugs are both effective and meet regulatory standards for approval. Drug discovery is a critical and complex phase in the pharmaceutical industry, significantly impacting healthcare by bringing innovations in treatments to market.