High throughput screening (HTS) has long been an important first step in the search for new drug molecules. Here, the goal is to identify high-quality hits that can be easily optimized into lead compounds and ultimately, safe and effective medicines. In recent years HTS has become something of a numbers game – after all, with a larger screening...

The ability of bacteria and fungi to develop resistance to antimicrobial treatments isn’t a new phenomenon; we’ve observed the effects since the discovery of the first antibiotics almost a century ago. Antibacterial resistance is an inevitable consequence of natural selection – and it shouldn’t be a problem, provided we have a ready supply of...

Drug formulation plays a vital role in the success of any pharmaceutical development program. From early preclinical investigations through to late stage clinical trials, formulation chemistry is used throughout the development process and is essential for the design of a safe and effective product. Yet, formulation’s importance is often...

A more systematic approach to drug development There are few environments where quality control is more important than in drugmanufacturing. Medicines must be safe to use and deliver a consistent clinical effect to treat the targeted disease. However, even with the most robust quality control measures, end-of-line testing cannot improve the...

Developing robust and reliable high-throughput screening assays High-throughput screening (HTS) plays a pivotal role in drug discovery. It’s used to hunt for ‘hits’ – those sought-after molecules that modulate the activity of targeted biological pathways. Hits can progress through the pipeline to lead compounds and potentially, new medicines....

Lung diseases such as asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a growing global healthcare challenge, with figures suggesting they are responsible for around one in ten deaths in the EU. For those developing treatments for these chronic respiratory conditions, pulmonary drug delivery is seen by...

Antibiotic resistance poses one of the biggest threats to public health in modern times. Currently, an estimated 50,000 deaths across Europe and the US ever year are thought to be caused by antibiotic resistance. If left unchecked, experts believe that resistance to antimicrobial drugs could result in as many as 10 million deaths per year...