Invited Talk: Nature Nurtures New Drug Discovery

The global healthcare scene of which the pharmaceutical industry and its products are integral components is today at the cross roads. The high and unaffordable costs of drug research with estimates of over 1 billion dollars for every new drug discovered and developed, the very low success rates, the high degree of obsolescence due to undesirable adverse drug reactions, the decline in the development pipeline of new drugs, patent expiries leading to generic competition and the public’s disillusionment with use of chemicals for human consumption   as drugs have all significantly contributed to the problems of this lifeline industry. The strategy adopted by the large R&D based Corporations  to get bigger and bigger through mergers and acquisitions to improve cost-effectiveness and productivity  of R&D has so far not  worked effectively. Consequently, one of the recent trends in healthcare, articulated by many experts is to look for  alternate or even complementary approaches to reduce the impact of rising costs of drugs on  healthcare. Various new strategies for drug discovery such as the use of  Natural Products especially medicinal plants  are being actively pursued by healthcare planners and providers.   Side by side, traditional systems of medicine whether from the oriental countries or the western nations are also having a serious relook to understand their usefulness in healthcare. To achieve its legitimate position in the healthcare scenario,  it is essential  to scientifically validate their claimed utility through appropriate and systematic research efforts including pre-clinical and clinical studies. In addition to their own use as medicines, knowledge on the Indian Traditional Medicines can be used as a platform for new drug discovery. The huge potential for carrying out  systematic R&D programs for new Drug Discovery  based on  natural products  and possible strategies  to realise them in the coming decades will be explained in this presentation.