From Molecule to Medicine
Summary
The human body is extremely vulnerable – many illnesses and disorders are still untreatable. However, science is always evolving in its efforts to find drugs to help patients all over the world.
14 years is the length of time it takes to develop a new drug. Over this time period, 100 research projects lead to one drug being introduced to the market.
In many illnesses, one or more proteins in the body are not working correctly. Scientists are trying to discover which proteins cause an illness, and if any drugs can be developed to correct them. Our bodies, however, contain hundreds of thousands of different proteins. Finding a single protein that isn’t working properly is a long, labor intensive process.
In modern labs, with advanced technology, up to 100,000 substances can be tested a day.
Keywords: PhRMA, pharmaceutical industry, drug discovery, molecule, medicine
