Students and professors before the start of the III workshop of the Medicines of the School of Pharmacy. PHOTO: Manuel Castells

According to Ángel Velasco, an executive of Laboratorios Lilly, "only one out of every five molecules researched ends up being a marketed drug". This was stated by the expert at the III conference on Medicines: "New ideas, new drugs", organized by the School of Pharmacy of the University of Navarra.

The central motif of these talks - in which 49 final-year pharmacy students, researchers at training and students at Master's Degree participated - was to review the life cycle of a drug, from its synthesis until it becomes available to the patient.

Among the experts who attended the event were Antonio Monge, director of the Medicines Unit research and development+I of the academic center; Ana Irigaray, from Pharmamar; Fernando Álvarez, from Laboratorios Servier; Estrella García, from Laboratorios Almirall and Ángel Velasco, an executive from Laboratorios Lilly. The latter, a specialist in biological generation and biological optimization, stated that Biochemistry and cell biology applied to the finding of drugs is a fundamental stage in the preclinical development of new drugs: "Both disciplines provide the new organic synthesis molecules with the first biological data on their activity, their interaction and effect on the molecular targets they are aimed at, their mechanism of action, etc.".

The expert also recalled that this field "implies a very hard work multidisciplinary and important investments, hence the need for the Administration and companies to have a realistic vision of the process if we want Spain to occupy a prominent place in this scientific discipline ".

Finally, the Lilly Laboratories executive stressed the goal of the pharmaceutical research "to increase the percentage of successful molecules that can improve treatments and ensure that a larger issue number of patients benefit from new therapeutic approaches. That is our goal as research pharmacists," he concluded.

area Registered students
A total of 49 students of the School Pharmacy and Human Nutrition and Dietetics attended the lectures and the roundtable :

Abad Pisa, Mireya
Aguilar Conde, Virginia
Alonso Sandonis, David
Ancizu Pérez de Ciriza, Saioa
Arsuaga Azcoaga, Marta
Baquedano Pérez, Ylenia
Barea Ripoll, Carlos
Benito Gallego, Fabiola
Broquetas Autor, Irene
Burgos Chávez, Talia Cristina
Bustín Martínez, Carlos
Calleja Corzana, Amaya
Carballo Guerrero, Mariela
Caro Ordieres, Teresa
Castrillo Apezteguia, Nerea
Castroviejo Saenz, Alba
Cecilia Val, Beatriz
Domínguez Fernández, Mª Almudena
Galiano Ruiz, Silvia
García Íñiguez, Beatriz
Gastón Alcoz, Esther
Guerra Cusí, Alicia
Lachén Casanovas, Clara
Lamberto Pérez, Iranzu
Margallo Navarro, Alberto
Mendoza Lizaldez, Adela
Moreno de Viguri, Elsa
Nardiz Cirarda, Marta
Nicolás Carriscajo, Marta
Pacheco Barceló, Mª del Camino
Paris Huguet, Francisco
Peleteiro Pombal, Iván
Pérez Reguera, Raquel
Pérez Silanes, Silvia
Prieto Labiano, Judith
Prior Marañón, Cristina
Rodríguez Benedicto, Saray
Rodríguez García, Estefanía
Romano Álvarez, Beatriz
Roncal Garraza, Maite
Roqueta Vives, Jessica
Ros Bernaola, Goizane
Ruiz Martínez, Cristina
Salvador Garicano, Ane Miren
Santiago Lázaro, María
Teixido Codina, Alexandra
Torres Pastor, Enrique
Urrutia Zubia, Naroa
Villarroyo Ballarín, Marta