Before drugs make it to the commercial production, they are first tested in vitro i.e., under laboratory conditions. And then they go through in vivo, or clinical trials involving animal and ultimately, human models. But in between these two stages, did you know that there is also an optional stage called in silico?

Entelos, Inc. is a US-based life sciences company which creates computer models of human physiology designed to reduce the risk, time, and cost of drug discovery and development. The Company's portfolio of proprietary computer models, known as PhysioLab systems, have helped its pharmaceutical customers validate novel drug targets, select and develop compounds, optimize clinical trials, evaluate in-licensing candidates, and better position existing products in competitive markets.

Entelos just entered into a research agreement with Novartis AG to predict the effect of Novartis' drug candidates on "virtual patients" using Entelos' PhysioLab® platforms.

[Photo: Entelos]