Scientific process, pharmacology and drug discovery.
Curr Opin Pharmacol
; 11(5): 528-33, 2011 Oct.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21704559
ABSTRACT
Scientific method in drug discovery has centered on generating a hypothesis (target identification) and hypothesis testing (target validation). Traditionally, both processes were performed using animal data, with the basic pharmacologist being pivotal. Many therapeutic areas that rely on human data to validate targets as animal models are seen as poorly predictive. Failures of molecules in Phase III for poor efficacy raise questions about target identification and validation. The clinical pharmacologist, working with the basic pharmacologist can play a major role in aiding target identification and by developing trial designs using small patient populations, mitigating the need for full Phase III studies to test the hypothesis. Technologies such as genomics, non-invasive imaging and proteomics are in the forefront of improving target identification and in some cases in providing paradigms for target validation in man.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pharmacology, Clinical
/
Drug Discovery
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Curr Opin Pharmacol
Journal subject:
FARMACOLOGIA
Year:
2011
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Italy