Today, we are living in the most exciting period in the history of pharmaceuticals, as new options lead to new opportunities for those who are in the field and those who are about to join. Recently, the drug discovery components of the business have begun to provide some of the industry's more intellectually challenging and financially rewarding jobs. This portion of the pharmaceutical process, in which drug candidates are identified and tested, now employs many of the latest findings in genomics and proteomics. It also brings to bear new ways of using information technology, combined with mathematical models based on biological rather than physical processes. Drug discovery and development research area is unique in its mission as it combines drug discovery from proteomics and bioinformatics-based research with pharmacology, toxicology and drug development/clinical evaluation.

Industry has taken new initiatives that are intended to improve the drug discovery process. These initiatives involve more effective use of technology, tighter management processes, and finding a common language for the exchange of data among the different segments of companies. The market research company, Frost and Sullivan expects spending on drug discovery to expand from US$19.6 billion in 2002 to US$25.6 billion by 2006, an annual growth rate of about 6%. Frost and Sullivan's survey showed that in 2002, the top 20 pharmaceutical companies spent about a third of their R&D budgets on preclinical development. As one might expect, the drug discovery arena has its high corporate financial stakes and life-and-death implications for patients and typically requires professionals who have been trained in various aspects of pharmaceutical, medical and biological sciences.

Here the pharmacists play a crucial role, as they serve in all areas of healthcare from community pharmacies to cutting-edge research, applying their unique knowledge of the power and potential of medications. With the onset of the trade-related aspects intellectual property rights (TRIPS) agreement that prevent companies from manufacturing generic drugs, Indian companies have realized the importance of developing newer drug molecules on their own. Accordingly, a number of companies have increased their R&D budget in order to pay more attention to in-house research for innovations. Prominent Indian companies that have made significant progress in R&D include Ranbaxy, Dr.Reddy's Labs and Orchid Chemicals. Some of the prominent government organizations engaged in drug research include Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow

National Chemical Lab, Pune and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. Pharmacists are the experts in drug discovery, development, preparation and usage of medicines. They are both professional scientists and qualified healthcare practitioners. Pharmacists work in hospitals, in the community and in the pharmaceutical industry. They promote the safe and effective use of medicines and ensure quality patient care. Often, pharmacists are the first point of information on medicines for the public and other healthcare professionals. Pharmacists receive training in diverse areas of science and in the skills required to be effective and professional in their job. Advanced practice in managing and coordinating clinical drug research is an area of growth that represents a great opportunity for pharmacist. By developing and contributing clinical research management skills, pharmacist can ensure data accuracy, completeness and most important patient safety. Pharmacists are at a zenith in their ability to manage, cure and prevent disease.

Drug discovery is an interdisciplinary research area incorporating synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology, and pharmaceutical chemistry in the search for better drugs. The effective treatment of patients with various diseases such as AIDS and cancer depends to a great extent, on the ability of medicinal chemists to discover new drugs. Immune suppressing medications available today have made possible surgical procedures, such as heart transplants that were unthinkable in a previous generation. With the strong knowledge base of quantitative structure activity relations (QSAR) and ability to synthesize/isolate the drug, the pharmacist could work as pharmaceutical chemist in the drug discovery laboratories.

Computational chemistry and molecular modeling attempt to study drug-receptor interactions at the molecular level e.g. binding affinity of the HIV protease inhibitors to HIV protease. Pharmaceutical chemist or research pharmacist have the opportunity to not only advance the frontier of science but also to see their work directly, hence contribute to alleviating many of the diseases afflicting mankind. Recent advances in a number of disciplines have created exciting new opportunities for pharmaceutical chemists. Synthetic organic chemistry has progressed over the last several decades to a level where molecules of great complexity can be efficiently constructed. Large computer databases of chemical reactions and bio-medical information enable researchers using local terminals to quickly identify literature that is crucial to their work.

This powerful capability permits pharmaceutical chemist to simultaneously keep abreast of developments in organic synthesis and the various biomedical disciplines important for carrying out research at the cutting edge of contemporary medicinal chemistry. X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy are providing an ever-increasing quantity and quality of structural information on enzymes, DNA, receptors and other biological macromolecules.

This information, along with a variety of recently developed computer-based molecular modeling capabilities, allows pharmaceutical chemist to design new drugs in a much more rational fashion than was previously possible. Molecular biology has recently provided the capability to produce larger quantities of pure enzymes and receptors as well as a new way to study how these macromolecules function biologically. These capabilities are being used to identify enzymes and receptors for which medicinal chemists can target new drugs. All of these developments combined provide an unprecedented opportunity for pharmaceutical chemist. Cheminformatics, is another area where pharmacist can provide their expertise to sort and manager the enormous amount of data generated by the drug discovery groups. Research pharmacists play a pivotal role in the discovery and development of new drug molecules and processes used in manufacturing them. Research pharmacist has strong analytical abilities, strong logical thinking, patience and strong academic foundations.

Research pharmacists also play important role as a pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic experts because of their strong pharmacology as well as pharmaceutical base. Though physician knows a great deal about pharmacology and toxicology; yet its pharmacist who maintain this knowledge to a greater extent because of their drug expertise. Research pharmacist has wider knowledge on the effect of medicinal substances as well as the different ways in which medicine can be introduced into the body.

It is a pharmaceutical industry truism that the cost of bringing a new chemical entity (NCE) to market continues to rise, while the likelihood of success steadily declines. So every pharmaceutical and biotechnology company aims to reduce costs and maximize productivity. Relative to optimizing the use of medicines, activities include procedures to minimize adverse effects from the use of medicines, evaluation of economic aspects of the use of medicines, and development of paediatric dosing regimens. Stem cell research is another drug discovery area where the research pharmacists have taken a lead. A number of Indian research centres and hospitals have started stem cell research bringing together clinician and research pharmacist.

Though the development of new pharmaceuticals certainly offers challenging career opportunities that offer the promise of intellectual, monetary, and personal rewards and the pharmacist has to constantly keep increasing their knowledge base and has to learn newer skills as fast as possible to remain competitive in this arena. And the real reward of research pharmacist efforts to bring a new compound to the market is to hear from the people that they have made a difference in their lives.

- (The author is senior manager- Clinical Operations TechSoft Clinical--A division of TechSoft Inc., USA)