About Drug Development
Drug Development Process
Many steps are required to ensure the safety and efficacy of a
drug before it is approved for use in humans. On average, it costs an estimated
$800 million and takes up to 15 years or more for an experimental drug to move
from the laboratory to a patient in the United States. For more information,
visit the 
Drug
Discovery, Development and Approval Process on
the FDA Review website for a comprehensive explanation of this process.
Page last modified October 21, 2009
