Modern Drugs

Created by Rithika S K, Modified on Wed, 13 Aug at 2:04 PM by Rithika S K

Modern drugs, also known as medications or pharmaceuticals, are chemical substances designed to diagnose, treat, or prevent disease. They undergo a rigorous process of discovery, development, and testing before being made available to the public. This process, while technologically advanced, is still lengthy, expensive, and has a low success rate.

Here's a more detailed look at modern drugs:

1. Drug Discovery and Development:

Identification and Optimization:
Drug discovery begins with identifying potential drug candidates (hits) and optimizing them to improve their properties like effectiveness, safety, and how well they are absorbed by the body.
Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD):
CADD techniques are often used to accelerate the process by predicting how a drug will interact with its target in the body, according to Wikipedia.
Clinical Trials:
Once a promising drug candidate is identified, it undergoes rigorous testing in three phases of clinical trials to assess its safety and efficacy in humans.
Pharmaceutical Companies' Role:
Pharmaceutical companies are primarily responsible for drug discovery, development, and marketing.
Research and Development Costs:
The cost of developing a new drug is substantial, with estimates reaching billions of dollars.
Low Success Rate:
Despite significant investments, the success rate of bringing a new drug to market is low.

2. Types of Drugs and Administration:

Delivery Methods:
Drugs can be administered in various ways, including inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, transdermal patches, suppositories, and sublingual administration.
Pharmaceutical Forms:
Drugs come in different forms, such as tablets, capsules, liquids, and injectables.

3. Regulation and Patents:

Patents:
Drug discovery often results in patents, granting the discoverer exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the drug for a specific period.
Regulation:
Drugs are heavily regulated by government agencies to ensure safety and efficacy.