Biomedical informatics: the future for drug development

The problems that exist in drug development are well documented: the limited number of new chemical entities, increased cost of drug development, problems in clinical trials (Phase III), product launches that result in withdrawal, and pressure to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals from the government. It appears that the promise of genomics has not yet reached its full potential to impact the process. This review identifies the need to develop and implement the area of biomedical informatics for increased success in drug development and healthcare in general.