ADME stands for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Absorption refers to the process by which the body (animal or human) takes up or absorbs the drug compound. The exact process of absorption really depends on how the drug is administered (e.g., oral route, respiratory/inhaled, intravenous, etc.). Once a drug or test compound is absorbed by the body, it is distributed to its target tissue via the bloodstream.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Cell culture is a very labor-intensive and repetitive task. In many cases, it's carried out by highly-qualified scientists who could be spending their time on other things. Cells need care and feeding regularly, even if it's a holiday, even if it's or the
Determining the DMPK properties of a drug allows the drug developer to understand the safety and efficacy data required for regulatory approval. Some of the properties determined in DMPK studies are bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, drug exposure analysis, and metabolic fate.
Friday, February 26, 2010
It’s no secret that the pharmaceutical industry—like other industries—is farming out many of its essential drug discovery processes… and medicinal chemistry (medchem) is just one of them. Crucial to the success of a compound, medchem’s raison d’être is to
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Among the many justifications for the Human Genome Project was the promise of personalized medicine. By sequencing the human genome, the rationale went, scientists could begin to suss out how it varies from person to person. That variation, in turn, would
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Genetics moves at a dizzying pace these days. Research journals trumpet new genetic associations almost daily for everything from disease predisposition to drug responses to physical traits. As of Oct. 6, 2009, the National Human Genome Research Institute
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A checkweigher is an automated machine or system that checks the weight of packaged items as they pass through the production line. Checkweighers are used at the end of the production process to ensure that the weight of a package is within specified limi
Like many industries, medical devices are highly regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a result, medical device companies must invest significant time, money, and manpower to bring a device from the development stage to market.
Biomarkers are biological molecules—primarily proteins—that can be used to track a disease process, measure a drug response, or diagnose a disease. Biomarkers are of great interest to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies who wish to accurately measure response to new treatments. Many drug developers, as well as contract research organizations that are associated with them, expend significant energy and resources to discover, identify, and measure novel biomarkers.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
CROs fall into one of several categories, providing preclinical services exclusively, clinical services exclusively, or some combination of both types of services. Among the preclinical services are bioanalytical (e.g., immunochemistry, ELISA), studies on the fate of the drug candidate in cells and in animals (e.g., ADME studies), toxicological studies, and medicinal chemistry services, just to name a few.