The development of new drugs is a complex, multi-stage process that traditionally relies heavily on animal testing. This practice, while crucial for ensuring the safety and efficacy of new treatments in humans, raises significant ethical concerns and scientific limitations.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers and research organisations face many challenges when it comes to maximising the significant investments in both internal and external R&D resourcing in their drug discovery and development journeys.

As if crewing from Cowes to Cherbourg in the Fastnet ocean race, hosting a weekly classic hits radio show, and pursuing an unbridled passion for classic sports cars is not enough, Executive Director Graeme Quar just got back from a 7-day trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The Paracelsian Concept, named after the Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus, is encapsulated in the phrase "the dose makes the poison." This principle suggests that any substance can be harmful if applied in high enough concentrations, while even traditionally harmful substances can be harmless or even provide beneficial effects at low doses.

In Vivo toxicology proof-of-concept (PoC) testing plays a crucial role in evaluating the potential risks and hazards associated with new compounds in the early stages of lead generation and pre-candidate selection, when developers are assessing the likelihood of scientific success, and investors are calculating the likelihood of financial return on their investment.

Toxicology is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on staying the adverse effects of chemicals and other substances on living organisms. it plays a crucial role in assessing and mitigating potential risks to human health, wildlife, and the environment.

Prior to any drug getting to market for human consumption there is a long and complex journey of discovery, development and rigorous evaluation. Most potential drugs fail along the way with only about 12% of the drugs that entered clinical trials reaching the pharmacy shelves.

Patients who benefit from medicines for relief from conditions such as cystic fibrosis, heart disease, tuberculosis and more recently COVID-19, have in vivo testing to thank for safe, effective and timely interventions. In fact, to many people inside and outside the scientific world, modern medicine as we know it wouldn’t be where it is today without research that involves the use of animals in drug discovery, preclinical laboratory testing and clinical trials.

India is the world's largest supplier of generic drugs, and its fast-growing US$42 billion pharmaceutical industry plays a significant role in providing affordable healthcare to millions of people worldwide.

As we discussed in an earlier article, governments are responding to the largest avian flu epidemic in recent years by considering a reversal of the ban on vaccinating poultry against the virus. Now there is growing concern about the potential for avian influenza to cause a serious outbreak among humans, and while the risk of infection is still relatively low, experts agree that the potential consequences of an outbreak are significant.