structure activity relationship vs functional group theory

The text discusses how revolutionary advances in basic science and technology are changing the way drug discovery is conducted due to increasing costs associated with finding new medicines.

Key points:

1. Pharmaceutical companies have invested heavily in research and development, spending over $22 billion annually after inflation adjustment from 20 years ago.

2. The cost of developing a single drug can range from $600 million to $700 million over an extended period (15 years) due to various regulatory requirements such as FDA approval.

However, despite these significant investments, the success rate remains extremely low:

1. Only one out of every 5,000 compounds investigated in preclinical discovery research ever progresses to become a clinical lead.

2. Out of those that make it through trials, only about 10% successfully navigate through and ultimately receive FDA approval.

The current process is described as essentially trial-and-error-based, despite the substantial resources devoted by both pharmaceutical and academic research groups.

This situation has led researchers to explore alternative approaches such as:

1. Applying knowledge from basic science (e.g., understanding of how genes work) more effectively.

2. Developing new technologies that can aid in drug discovery (e.g., using computers to predict which compounds are likely to be effective).

In essence, the pharmaceutical industry is looking for ways to increase efficiency and reduce costs while maintaining or improving upon current success rates.

To achieve this goal, researchers need:

1. More information about how genes function at a molecular level so that they can design more targeted drugs.

2. New technologies such as high-throughput screening (HTS) which allows thousands of compounds to be tested quickly in the lab rather than on living animals or humans first before moving onto human trials.

Overall, there is an urgent need for innovative approaches and new scientific breakthroughs if we are going to combat diseases effectively without breaking the bank.

Structure activity relationship vs functional group theory