Pharmaceutical research companies have a standard drug discovery process that starts with medical research on diseases, followed by target identification and validation. Drugs work by targeting specific molecules that play a role in the disease, usually proteins or genes, which must be shown to cause the disease and respond to drug molecules. This involves extensive experimentation using living cells and animal models.

2.  For many years, pharmaceutical research
companies have developed new drugs
using a standard drug discovery process.
The process usually begins with extensive
medical research about a particular
disease, which provides researchers with a
better understanding of the disease and
how it affects the body. The next step of the
drug discovery process typically involves
target identification and target validation.

3.  In general, drugs fight disease by targeting a
specific molecule or set of highly similar
molecules within the body. Researchers begin
by identifying a molecule that plays a role in
the disease they are attempting to treat. Often
a protein or a gene, the target molecule must
be able to interact with and be affected by
drug molecules. Once researchers identify a
target molecule, they must prove that it
actually causes the disease and can be
affected by drugs. In order to accomplish this,
scientists conduct a broad range of
experiments with living cells and animal
models.