Role and future of natural products in drug discovery

Natural products have been the source for well over 50% of drugs and drug leads. They have been exclusive sources for drugs for a number of therapies. Despite playing significant role, recent past has seen significant decline in the discovery of novel natural products particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. At present, only a few big pharmaceutical companies are engaged in the natural products discovery research albeit with a limited scope. As always, academic institutions, not only western countries but also Asian countries, are playing significant role in advancing this field and new natural products are being reported from a variety of sources from around the world. Most importantly, game changing newer technologies and approaches are being developed leading to apparent resurgence in natural products. This presentation will provide a historical overview and current development of natural products and their role in drug discovery and development.