Role of bioinformatics and pharmacogenomics in drug discovery and development process

Abstract

Drug discovery and development is a complex, high risk, time consuming and potentially highly rewarding process. Pharmaceutical companies literally burn millions of dollar per drug to bring it to the market. The development of a new drug requires a technological expertise, human resources and huge capital investment. It also requires strict adherence to regulations on testing and manufacturing standards before a new drug comes into market and can be used in the general population, in fact, some time it fails to come into market. All these factors just increase the cost for a new chemical entity research and development. Two branches which made positive impact on drug designing process and reduce the overall cost and risk are Bioinformatics and Pharmacogenomics. Their practice in drug designing process made positive effect on overall process and they can accelerate various steps of drug designing, and reduce the cost and over all time. Current note focusses on the role of bioinformatics and pharmacogenomics in drug discovery and development process. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Wien.