Most consumers are unaware of the drug development process that goes behind the medicines they take before these are released to the public. Unbeknownst to many, it actually takes 10 to 12 years and nearly $900 million before a pharmaceutical company could introduce a new drug to the public.
It takes more than a decade to develop a new drug because the substances to be used in developing a pharmaceutical product must pass the pre-clinical and clinical tests, and these substances aren't only a few. Pharmaceutical companies often research and test thousands of different substances and compounds before a new drug could be successfully introduced into the market. Although it may seem like 10,000-30,000 substances are already more than enough, only about 30 compounds for every thousand will be able to show promising results, and only three compounds for every 30 will be able to pass the first round of clinical trials. Only after its component substances have gone through the clinical trials will a drug be viable for release in the market.
There are many different phases that a drug goes through that contribute to the long time it takes to be developed. Discovery, pre-clinical testing, and toxicity studies alone take at least six-and-a-half years, and it takes an additional 7 years for it to go through Phase 1 through 3. Additionally, even after the substance has gone through a successful drug development, it may still undergo Phase 4 to test its safety and effectiveness, as well as to collect data from the results.
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