Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Diagonal Method to Measure Synergy Among Any Number of Drugs
Published on: June 21, 2018
You Cannot Have Your Synergy and Efficacy Too
Pramita Sen1, Ananya Saha1, Narendra M Dixit2
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Abstract:
Synergistic drugs are preferred in combination therapies for many diseases, including viral infections and cancers. Maximizing synergy, however, may come at the cost of efficacy. This synergy-efficacy trade-off appears to be widely prevalent and independent of the specific drug interactions yielding synergy. We present examples of the trade-off in drug combinations used in hepatitis C, HIV, and cancer therapies and believe that screens for optimal drug combinations that presently seek to maximize synergy may be improved by considering the trade-off.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy
Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism
Such synergistic combinations...
Agonism and Antagonism: Quantification
To quantify these effects, researchers use a dose-response curve, which provides valuable information about the potency and efficacy of a drug. Potency refers to...
Combined Effects of Drugs: Antagonism
The most common type is receptor antagonism, where one drug acts as an antagonist to block the effects of another drug by...
Bioequivalence of Drugs: Drugs with Multiple Indications
Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis

