Discovery helps to spot what makes a good drug

02 Oct 2014 A new test developed by researchers from the University of Manchester could revolutionise the discovery of new prescription drugs. A new test developed by researchers from the University of Manchester could revolutionise the discovery of new prescription drugs. The test will help determine which drugs are unlikely to work at an early stage, speeding up the time it takes to make safe and effective medicines available. The findings are published online in the journal Metabolomics. The Pharmaceuticals industry is worth billions of pounds a year. The main source of prescription medicines comes from what are known as 'small molecule' drugs, such as statins and antibiotics. The main problem for those who would benefit from new medicines, and for the industry, is that most new small molecule drugs never make it out of the door of the drug companies, because - despite early promise - they either do not work or because they show toxicity.