On Rational Design of Precision Drugs

The rational design of perfect precision drugs must be based on a precise definition of the disease's molecular target. This article offers a perspective on how the current drug development process needs to change to respond to this demand. This is not a review. However, the article refers to the past drug development to illustrate what needs to be done to progress to the next stage, namely the development of precision drugs–drugs that would act on diseases with no, or at least very much reduced side effects. To this end, unique molecular structures associated with diseases must be identified, followed by developing drugs that would bind specifically to such structures. Finally, future drug development must adopt this new paradigm.