The ultimate model organism: progress in experimental medicine

Abstract Experimental medicine is the use of innovative measurements, models and designs in studying human subjects for establishing proof of mechanism and concept of new drugs, for exploring the potential for market differentiation for successful drug candidates, and for efficiently terminating the development of unsuccessful ones. Humans are the ultimate 'model' because of the uncertain validity and efficacy of novel targets and drug candidates that emerge from genomics, combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput screening and the use of poorly predictive preclinical models. The in-depth investigation of the effects of drugs and the nature of disease progression is becoming ever more feasible because of advances in clinical biomarkers.