Maurizio Botta – articles in this journalCorresponding author
EmailDepartment of Biotechnology Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Italy; Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
The Drug development process has undergone a great change over the years. The way, from haphazard discovery of new natural products with a potent biological activity to a rational design of small molecule effective against a selected target, has been long and sprinkled with difficulties. The oldest drug development models are widely perceived as opaque and inefficient, with the cost of research and development continuing to rise even if the production of new drugs remains constant. The present paper, will give an overview of the principles, approaches, processes, and status of drug discovery today with an eye towards the past and the future.
