It can take up to 15 years to develop one new medicine
crystallography along with powerful computer modeling capabilities , chemists can visualize the target in three dimensions and design potential drugs to more powerfully bind to the parts of the target where they can be most effective .
On average , it costs $ 800 million to $ 1 billion to research and develop a successful drug , according to PhRMA , so target validation is crucial to help scientists avoid research paths that look promising but lead to dead ends .
Drug Discovery Once scientists fully understand a disease and are ready to begin looking
for a responsive drug , they search for a molecule or “ lead compound ” that may act on their chosen target . If successful over years of testing and numerous odds , the lead compound can become a new medicine .
New techniques have revolutionized the ability of researchers to optimize potential drug molecules .
There are four key ways scientists can follow to find a lead compound :
Nature : This was once the primary method for finding a lead compound , until recently . Bacteria found in soil and moldy plants both led to important new treatments , for example . Nature still offers many useful substances
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