In recent years, drug discovery has undergone a transformative evolution marked by technological advancements and innovative methodologies.
Through a selection of articles, interviews and graphics, this eBook will provide readers with an overview of drug discovery, design and development, highlighting challenges and solutions, successes, various modalities and approaches.
Download this eBook to explore topics including:
- High-throughput screening in drug discovery
- Advances in organ-on-a-chip technology
- Recent developments in drug discovery
Drug Discovery
Foreword
With the rise in chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, cancers
and antimicrobial resistant infections, the drive to develop new innovative medicines
has never been greater. It is forecasted that the global drug discovery market will hit
a staggering USD 181.4 billion by 2032. The process of bringing new medicines to the
market, to ultimately serve patients in need, is complex and requires a wide array of
expertise, including protein sciences, analytical chemistry and assay biology, along
with preclinical and clinical research and regulatory approval.
Identifying a druggable target is dependent on a drug’s ability to elicit a biological
response, which can be measured in vitro or in vivo. It’s important to select the most
appropriate modality for your drug target, be that a small molecule or biologic, as each
comes with key advantages and limitations.
Small molecule compounds are typically more adaptable, for example, they can be
administered by multiple routes and are easily manufactured. But, due to lacking
intrinsic specificity, they pose the risk of adverse effects due to potential off-target
interactions. Biologics on the other hand are more complex molecules and can bind to
the target with high specificity, therefore they are less likely to cause off-target effects
However, they require invasive administration via intravenous injection, making it an
expensive method of therapy, and they may trigger life-threatening reactions such as
immunogenicity.
In recent years, significant developments and innovations have been made in both
small molecule and biologics drug discovery, some of which include fragment-based
drug discovery, organ-on-a-chip, immunotherapy and the use of artificial intelligence.
This eBook explores how advances in this space are helping to reduce timelines and
streamline the drug development process, to aid the discovery, development and
approval of new medicines that address unmet medical needs.
Laura Eghobamien is an assay development scientist with more than 17 years of experience in the
biotechnology industry. She currently serves on Technology Networks’ Scientific Advisory Board.
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