Drug discovery is the initial phase of identifying potential drug candidates by targeting a specific disease. Drug development is followed by testing the most promising candidates through preclinical and clinical trials to ensure safety, efficacy, and proper dosage before regulatory approval. The entire process is long, costly, and has a high failure rate. Drug Discovery […]
Drug discovery is the initial phase of identifying potential drug candidates by targeting a specific disease. Drug development is followed by testing the most promising candidates through preclinical and clinical trials to ensure safety, efficacy, and proper dosage before regulatory approval. The entire process is long, costly, and has a high failure rate.
Drug discovery focuses on identifying new drug candidates, while drug development involves testing, optimising, and bringing those candidates to market.
The drug discovery process includes target identification, lead compound discovery, and early testing. Drug development involves preclinical studies, clinical trials (Phase I-III), and regulatory approval before the drug can be marketed.
Lead discovery or preclinical discovery.
Preclinical Testing, Clinical Trials (Phase I-III), Regulatory Review and Approval, and Post-Marketing Surveillance (Phase IV).
SBDD (Structure-Based Drug Design) uses the 3D structure of a target protein to design drugs, while LBDD (Ligand-Based Drug Design) relies on known ligands to predict and design new compounds.
Target identification, Hit discovery, Lead optimisation, and Preclinical testing.
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Here’s a clear comparison between Drug Discovery and Drug Development in tabular form:
| Aspect | Drug Discovery | Drug Development |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The process of identifying potential drug candidates. | The process of bringing a drug candidate to market. |
| Stage | Early-stage process. | Later-stage process, after drug discovery. |
| Objective | To find novel compounds with therapeutic potential. | Generally, 3-6 years. |
| Duration | Target identification, hit discovery, lead optimisation. | Can take 10-15 years (including clinical trials). |
| Main Activities | Target identification, hit discovery, lead optimization. | Preclinical studies, clinical trials, regulatory approval. |
| Outcome | Identification of lead compounds and drug candidates. | A drug that is safe, effective, and approved for marketing. |
| Focus Area | Basic science and early compound testing. | Clinical testing, safety, efficacy, and regulatory processes. |
| Risk Level | High; many compounds fail early in the process. | High; many candidates fail in clinical trials. |
| Key Players | Researchers, biochemists, molecular biologists. | Clinical researchers, regulatory experts, pharmaceutical companies. |
| Regulatory Involvement | Minimal, as compounds are in preclinical phases. | Extensive regulatory involvement, especially in clinical trials and approval. |
| Costs | Relatively low compared to drug development. | High, due to clinical trials, regulatory approvals, and manufacturing. |
| Success Rate | Low, as many leads fail before clinical trials. | Low, with a significant number of drugs failing in late-stage trials. |
| Main Goal | To identify a promising compound. | To ensure the compound is safe, effective, and can be mass-produced. |
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