Reverse Pharmacology-A Paradigm Shift for Drug Discovery and Development

Abstract

The current scenario of drug discovery and development is facing a model perturbation, despite significant advances in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, combinatorial chemistry and high through put assays. There is an urgent need of a paradigm shift in approaches to drug discovery. Natural products of Ayurveda offer a vast potential for novel phytomolecules with clinical activity. In India, Ayurveda is availed of by more than 70% of the population. There has been a renaissance in scientific exploration of medicinal plants with therapeutic activity. New methods have been proposed and developed for such exploration. Ayurvedic Pharmacoepidemiology, Observational therapeutics and Reverse Pharmacology paths have led to significant hits, leads and drug candidates for several diseases. The active phyto-molecules will also provide novel scaffolds for medicinal chemists to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity. Several plants have shown promise Viz. Mucuna pruriens for Parkinson’s disease, Nycthanthes arbor-tritis for malaria and Phyllanthus amarus for hepatitis. This approach of Reverse Pharmacology has also been adopted globally by several groups. A plea is made to look at the therapeutic activity of natural products for a revolution in drug discovery and development.