In the fields of medicine, biotechnology and pharmacology, drug discovery is the process by which new candidate medications are discovered. Historically, drugs were discovered by identifying the active ingredient from traditional remedies or by serendipitous discovery, as with penicillin. Over 40 Yrs Drug Discovery Products & Technology - Trusted Globally. Learn More! Explore Your Complete, Single-Source Solution for Discovery Products & Services. Over 40 Years Experience. Patented EFC Technology. Cell-Based Assays. Kinase Expertise.Opioids are among the world's oldest known drugs. Use of the opium poppy for medical, recreational, and religious purposes can be traced to the 4th century B.C., when Hippocrates wrote about it for its analgesic properties, stating, "Divinum opus est sedare dolores."In medicine, biotechnology and pharmacology, drug discovery is the process by which drugs are discovered and/or designed. In the past most drugs have been discovered either by identifying the active ingredient from traditional remedies or by serendipitous discovery.
Drug delivery systems (DDSs) are developed to deliver the required amount of drugs effectively to appropriate target sites and to maintain the desired drug levels. Research in newer DDS is being carried out in liposomes, nanoparticles, niosomes, transdermal drug delivery, implants, microencapsulation, and polymers.Drugs like amphetamine, ecstasy and mephedrone are often produced in underground labs based in the Netherlands, Belgium and eastern Europe. Synthetic drugs (including synthetic cannabis and a whole variety of 'legal highs') are often produced in China and the Far East and sold over the internet.