A Review on Drug Discovery and Development Processes

Drug discovery and development is a highly structured, multidisciplinary process that converts scientific hypotheses into safe and effective medicines. The pipeline spans target identification, lead discovery, optimization, preclinical evaluation, clinical trials, regulatory review, and post-marketing surveillance. Modern innovations, including artificial intelligence (AI), multi-omics approaches, CRISPR gene editing, and organ-on-chip models, have transformed traditional workflows, improving efficiency and predictive accuracy. Despite these advances, high attrition rates, regulatory complexity, and rising costs continue to challenge pharmaceutical development. This review provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary drug discovery strategies, emphasizing translational research, emerging technologies, and future perspectives.