Development of a new drug typically takes a decade
or more at a cost approaching a billion dollars, according
to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association
of America. The steps and representative time frames
are shown above. While a radical new approach such as
RNA interference may add even more uncertainty to this
lengthy process, proponents say that pre-clinical testing
may end up being quicker than for more traditional drugs.
That's because RNAi work can exploit new genomic knowledge
and high-throughput technologies to target genes whose
role in disease is well understood.
