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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Systemic and Local Drug Delivery for Treating Diseases of the Central Nervous System in Rodent Models
Published on: August 16, 2010
Multitarget drug discovery projects in CNS diseases: quantitative systems pharmacology as a possible path forward
1In Silico Biosciences, PA, USA. hugo-geerts@in-silico-biosciences.com
Abstract:
Clinical development in brain diseases has one of the lowest success rates in the pharmaceutical industry, and many promising rationally designed single-target R&D projects fail in expensive Phase III trials. By contrast, successful older CNS drugs do have a rich pharmacology. This article will provide arguments suggesting that highly selective single-target drugs are not sufficiently powerful to restore complex neuronal circuit homeostasis. A rationally designed multitarget project can be derisked by dialing in an additional symptomatic treatment effect on top of a disease modification target. Alternatively, we expand upon a hypothetical workflow example using a humanized computer-based quantitative systems pharmacology platform. The hope is that incorporating rationally multipharmacology drug discovery could potentially lead to more impactful polypharmacy drugs.
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