Trials and tribulations of veterinary drugs

Abstract

In general terms, the discovery and development of drugs for veterinary use follows the processes and procedures used for human drug discovery. Some interesting differences do arise, however. For example, when developing veterinary drugs it is necessary to be aware of the great diversity in physiology and disease profiles of the various species of animals, birds and fish for which new drugs may be sought. Hence, veterinary drugs may need to be targeted at specific species, rather than just for animals in general. Routes of delivery also can be very important ? for example it is desirable to treat fish through the water, or chickens either through the oral or respiratory routes, rather than having to handle large numbers of individuals.