subject: Protecting Future Generations With Drug Development [print this page] The incredible advances in drug development in the recent decades have been key in our protection against harmful illnesses. Scientists the world over are now in the process of researching, developing and creating lifesaving medicines that you may one day require.
Many people may take the existence of such drugs for granted, especially if you have had the fortune to never need them. However, drug development is one of the most important advances in scientific healthcare, as they can provide you with a cure to a life threatening illness that you could one day contract.
Right now, throughout the world, scientists are working on new drugs and medicines for a vast number of diseases and health problems. Some of the drugs that these scientists will go on to produce will only keep potential health issues at bay, whereas others could actually cure them for good.
Without these scientists our lives would be much different you would not have received your Meningitis C vaccination as a baby or your MMR injection when in primary school. Even something as seemingly harmless as the common cold could still be a real cause for concern without the decongestant medicine you can pick up from your local chemist. Likewise, survival rates for sufferers of terminal illnesses such as cancer would have remained at a shockingly low level if important chemotherapy and post-surgery drugs had not been invented.
These scientists could not do their job without the use of important information compiled by medical databases though. This information includes data on biology, chemistry and pharmacology, as well as records for previous drug patents that have been applied for. Its also incredibly important for scientists to stay on top of recent advances in the medical world, which is why many of the companies that offer these services provide daily news updates all in one place. Its a well-known fact that drugs are developed with the use of previous research, so one scientists drug creation can help anothers further down the line. Scientists are able to pull on all of these research notes, news articles and factual points when compiling research for their own drug development, helping to speed up the lengthy process.
Certainly, drug development is a costly and labour intensive endeavour, but if a drug can go on to save lives its certainly worth the effort and expense.
