Key technologies and research systems in preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics

Preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic study is very important and an integral link in the pipeline of new drug development and research. The preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics research capabilities before the "9th Five-Year period" in China were rather poor as compared to those in the developed countries. We had made a creative and hard research into resolving the technology bottlenecks relating to the research of preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics in China during the past ten years by the support of various foundations and projects including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) and foundation of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Through ten-years research, Prof. Wang's research team has successfully developed 11 key technologies including high sensitive and rapid determination of drugs in biological samples and various technologies and models in vivo and in vitro for drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination(ADME). Based on the developed key technologies, the research systems of the leading compounds or candidates rapid ADME properties screening, and the complete preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics evaluation in vivo and in vitro had been successfully established in accordance with the international guidelines and standards. In addition, novel ideas and methods for the systematic drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic study of traditional Chinese medicines have been put forward and developed. The research achievements would be of great significance in the enhancement of the research capabilities and performance of the preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics study in China, in the promotion of novel drug research and development, and also for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicines.