Preclinical Research in Drug Discovery

Drug research and development is a long-term and very complex process with a multidisciplinary approach including multisectoral cooperation and regulations. Starting from the original idea to the finally approved drug that will end up on the pharmacy shelf, development of the new drug is a long, time-consuming and very demanding process that requires not only large financial resources but also the use of state-of-the-art knowledge and equipment, involvement of excellent scientists and project teams, as well as significant time investment. Although the drug discovery process is a time-consuming process it may have very high potential and benefit for the patients as well as for the drug developer. The need for the new, more effective and secure drugs is from day to day higher. The modern way of life and extensive use of current available drugs are important reasons for discovering and developing new drugs, e.g., the resistance of the microorganisms to the current antimicrobials or expression of the MDR proteins in cancer cells which significantly reduce the effect of existing antitumor drugs, or extending the life expectancy of people who carry more pronounced and frequent metabolic diseases that intensify and are significantly more pronounced in elderly people. With other words drug discovery projects are initiated because of certain disease or clinical condition exists without suitable medication and treatments available. In all these cases the new drug development should bring significant benefit to the patients and increase the quality of their lives.