Product Development Tools to Enhance Drug Discovery

The drug discovery 'pipeline' guides the evolution of therapeutic products from initial discovery to clinical trials. Given limited resources, optimisation of this process is critical and can be addressed through the creation of product development tools. Strong drug candidates for botulism have yet to be identified, but with continued and focused efforts it is likely a lead candidate will emerge. Formal description of the desired therapeutic product, and a mechanism to evaluate potential drug products, must be established to facilitate selection of promising inhibitor compounds. This approach will conserve resources and increase the probability of developing a successful therapeutic product. [Received 25 October 2007; Accepted 4 November 2007]