From simple home-brewed herbal extracts – still used widely – to computer- designed magic bullets developed by multinational companies, the questions are the same. Does it work? If so, how? And are there any side effects?
BRINGING a new drug onto the market is a gamble – it takes on average 12 years of research and development, and an investment of £125 million. Fewer than five out of ten thousand potential medicines ever reach a hospital pharmacy or chemist’s shop.
Drugs consist of synthetic or natural chemicals. They treat or prevent illnesses, and can also help in their diagnosis. The search for…
