Ferring's Creative Model

Drug Development

The creation of new medicines at Ferring follows a number of key stages:

Drug discovery [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/Drug+Development/Drug+discovery.htm" ]: Target is identified and evaluated. Selected targets are then validated and if necessary modified	Drug Discovery [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/Drug+Development/Drug+discovery.htm" ]
Pharmaceutical development [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/Drug+Development/Product+Development.htm#pharmadev" ]: Compound is developed from a target chemical substance into a formulated product (i.e. tablet, injection, spray etc) that has a pharmacological1 effect on the human body	Product Development [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/Drug+Development/Product+Development.htm" ]
Non-clinical development [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/Drug+Development/Product+Development+more.htm#nonclinical" ]: Compound is put through non-clinical tests to ascertain its safety and pharmacological action
Clinical development [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/Drug+Development/Product+Development+more.htm#clinicaldev" ]: Formulated compound chemical compound is put through clinical trials2 in human volunteers and patients in accordance with regulatory requirements
Regulatory approval [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/Drug+Development/Regulatory+Affairs.htm" ]: Data from non-clinical and clinical studies is submitted to relevant regulatory authorities3 and Ferring asks for a marketing authorisation4 for the new pharmaceutical	Regulatory Affairs [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/Drug+Development/Regulatory+Affairs.htm" ]

The challenge that Ferring faces is that the many potential new substances do not make it through all the stages of the process and do not end up as innovative new medicines. To this end, Ferring continually invests in its R&D capabilities both in its highly skilled workforce and state of the art technology [url: "/randd/Creating+New+Medicines/R+D+Technology.htm" ], in order to increase the possibility of creating new medicines that treat disease and improve the lives of patients.

Glossary Entries
1) pharmacological - Pertaining to pharmacology, (the medical science that deals with the discovery, chemistry, effects, uses and manufacture of drugs) or to the properties and reactions of drugs.
2) clinical trials - A type of research study that tests how well new medical approaches work in people. These studies test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease. It can also be called a clinical study.
3) regulatory authorities - An official body (usually a government agency) established to set conditions for the granting of marketing authorisations, to process marketing authorisation applications and to make decisions on the approval and post-marketing surveillance (pharmacovigilance) of pharmaceutical products.
4) marketing authorisation - The permission granted by a regulatory authority to a company to market a pharmaceutical product following the company’s submission of required documentation and data relating to testing and clinical trials of the product.

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