Discovery of veterinary antiparasitic agents in the 21st century: a view from industry

Discovery of antiparasitic agents is a challenging process, requiring discovery of molecules with the ability to kill parasites but not their hosts. Customer preference is for fewer doses and ease of application, but this is not always compatible with reduced withdrawal times, human food safety and/or user safety. This article describes some of the difficulties faced by researchers in the search for new antiparasitic agents, while highlighting advances that may improve the discovery process and the chance of success in discovering novel drugs.