The Role of Analytical Chemistry in Modern Drug Development

Analytical chemistry-the broad field of chemical research dedicated to the measurement and identification of substances deliberated or unwanted at a certain place and a certain time, underlies a great extent of all developments in chemistry. But unfortunately, analytical work as a somehow poor sister is not noticed by the public as much as important discoveries and new products get all the attention. Although it is not a new phenomenon, the verdict of analytical chemistry as a scientific Cinderella gained more evidence in the last decades with the advent of concoctions such as high throughput assay, system biology or combinatorial chemistry. While this is true, it is quite wrong that research results from top analytical labs largely influence the product pipeline in the pharmaceutical industry and also play a key role when it comes to process optimization and failure analysis. Potency assays for still regulated pharmaceuticals like digitalis; diagnostic test kits for parameters such as blood glucose, cholesterol or vitamin D 3; the role of technically sophisticated instruments, it is not at all appropriate to view analytical chemistry as a mere ‘service discipline.