⚠ Official Notice: www.ijisrt.com is the official website of the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) Journal for research paper submission and publication. Please beware of fake or duplicate websites using the IJISRT name.



Integrated ADME Approaches in Rational Drug Design and Development


Authors : Prantav Rana; Akanksha Sharma; Sanjiv Duggal

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/3r78cpn6

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4u4s9zxm

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26May1240

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : ADME studies are essential to the successful development of pharmaceutical compounds and offer detailed insights into a drug's pharmacokinetic profile. These important determinants collectively known as Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion (ADME) play a critical role in the assessment of new compound safety and efficacy and therapeutic performance. The present review provides an in-depth analysis of the role and importance of ADME studies from discovery to development of new drugs. These studies encompass drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, bioavailability excretion allowing the use of knowledge for the purposes of optimizing drug design, improving bioavailability and reducing toxicity thereby predicting drug-drug interactions. In the present scenario of pharmaceutical research, ADME profiling is employed both in preclinical and clinical stages so that desired result showing candidate get select with favourable dose. Early identification of error or unfavourable pharmacokinetic properties reduces the risk of attrition during stages of drug development thereby save time, money and resources. Moreover, ADME studies contribute to the development of safer and effective therapeutic agents by ensuring an appropriate balance between pharmacological activity and systemic exposure. Overall, ADME evaluation remains an important strategy for advancing drug candidates from discovery to clinical application

Keywords : Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, Drug-Drug Interaction, Candidate Selection, Optimised Drug Design.

References :

  1. Cerny M, Spracklin D, Obach RS. Human absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion studies: Origins, innovations, and importance. Drug Metab Dispos. 2023;51(6):647‑56.
  2. Lai Y, Chu X, Di L, Gao W, Guo Y, Liu X, Lu C, Mao J, Shen H, Tang H, Xia C, Zhang L, Ding X. Recent advances in the translation of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics science for drug discovery and development. Acta Pharm Sin B. 2022;12(7):2751‑77.
  3. LZ B. Pharmakokinetics: The dynamics of drug absorption, distribution, and elimination. Goodman & Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 1996:3-28.
  4. Krüger-Thiemer E. Pharmacokinetics: kinetic aspects of absorption, distribution, and elimination of drugs. In: Kinetics of drug action. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg; 1977. p. 63-123.
  5. Leslie RA, Johnson EK, Goodwin AP, editors. Dr Podcast scripts for the primary FRCA. Cambridge University Press; 2011 May 5.
  6. Wilkinson GR. Clearance concepts in pharmacology. Pharmacol Rev. 1987;39:1‑47.
  7. Krüger-Thiemer E. Pharmacokinetics: kinetic aspects of absorption, distribution, and elimination of drugs. In: Kinetics of drug action. Berlin (DE): Springer Berlin Heidelberg; 1977. p. 63-123.
  8. Rang HP, Dale MM, Ritter JM, Flower RJ. Rang and Dale’s pharmacology. 6th ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier; 2007.
  9. Evans AM. Membrane transport as a determinant of the hepatic elimination of drugs and metabolites. Clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology. 1996 Nov;23(10‐11):970-4.
  10. Benkestock K, Edlund PO, Roeraade J. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry as a tool for determination of drug binding sites to human serum albumin by noncovalent interaction. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry: An International Journal Devoted to the Rapid Dissemination of Up‐to‐the‐Minute Research in Mass Spectrometry. 2005 Jun 30;19(12):1637-43.
  11. K. Abou-Zied O. Understanding the physical and chemical nature of the warfarin drug binding site in human serum albumin: experimental and theoretical studies. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 2015 Apr 1;21(14):1800-16.
  12. Urien S, Albengres E, Pinquier JL, Tillement JP. Role of alpha‐1 acid glycoprotein, albumin, and nonesterified fatty acids in serum binding of apazone and warfarin. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 1986 Jun;39(6):683-9.
  13. Ngougni Pokem P, Matzneller P, Vervaeke S, Wittebole X, Goeman L, Coessens M, et al. Binding of temocillin to plasma proteins in vitro and in vivo: the importance of plasma protein levels in different populations and of co-medications. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2022 Oct 3;77(10):2742-53.
  14. Boyer TD. Special article the glutathione S-transferases: an update. Hepatology. 1989 Mar 1;9(3):486-96.
  15. Tesseromatis C, Alevizou A. The role of the protein-binding on the mode of drug action as well the interactions with other drugs. European journal of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics. 2008 Dec;33(4):225-30.
  16. Parkinson A, Ogilvie BW, Buckley DB, Kazmi F, Parkinson O. Biotransformation of xenobiotics. In: Klaassen CD, editor. Casarett and Doull’s toxicology: the basic science of poisons. 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2019. p. 193-430.
  17. Nelson DR. Cytochrome P450 nomenclature. In: Cytochrome P450 protocols. Totowa (NJ): Humana Press; 1998. p. 15-24.
  18. Rendic S, Guengerich FP. Survey of human oxidoreductases and cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotic and natural chemicals. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 2015 Jan 20;28(1):38-42.
  19. Wrighton SA, Stevens JC. The human hepatic cytochromes P450 involved in drug metabolism. Critical reviews in toxicology. 1992 Jan 1;22(1):1-21.
  20. Shimada T, Yamazaki H, Mimura M, Inui Y, Guengerich FP. Interindividual variations in human liver cytochrome P-450 enzymes involved in the oxidation of drugs, carcinogens and toxic chemicals: studies with liver microsomes of 30 Japanese and 30 Caucasians. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics. 1994 Jul 1;270(1):414-23.
  21. Guengerich FP. Metabolic activation of carcinogens. Pharmacology & therapeutics. 1992 Jan 1;54(1):17-61.
  22. Eaton DL, Gallagher EP, Bammler TK, Kunze KL. Role of cytochrome P4501A2 in chemical carcinogenesis: implications for human variability in expression and enzyme activity. Pharmacogenetics and Genomics. 1995 Oct 1;5(5):259-74.
  23. Stearns RA, Chakravarty PK, Chen R, Chiu SH. Biotransformation of losartan to its active carboxylic acid metabolite in human liver microsomes. Role of cytochrome P4502C and 3A subfamily members. Drug metabolism and disposition. 1995 Feb 1;23(2):207-15.
  24. Greenblatt DJ, Koch-Weser J. Clinical Pharmacokinetics: (First of Two Parts). New England Journal of Medicine. 1975 Oct 2;293(14):702-5.
  25. LZ B. Pharmakokinetics: The dynamics of drug absorption, distribution, and elimination. Goodman & Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 1996:3-28.
  26. Meijer DK. Transport and metabolism in the hepatobiliary system. In: Schultz SG, Wood JD, Rauner BB, editors. Handbook of Physiology. Section 6: The Gastrointestinal System. Vol. 3. Bethesda (MD): American Physiological Society; 1989. p. 717-758.
  27. Levine WG. Biliary excretion of drugs and other xenobiotics. Annual review of pharmacology and toxicology. 1978 Jan 1; 18:81-96.
  28. DiMasi JA, Hansen RW, Grabowski HG. The price of innovation: new estimates of drug development costs. Journal of health economics. 2003 Mar 1;22(2):151-85.
  29. Kaitin KI. Deconstructing the drug development process: the new face of innovation. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2010 Mar;87(3):356-61.
  30. Khanna I. Drug discovery in pharmaceutical industry: productivity challenges and trends. Drug discovery today. 2012 Oct 1;17(19-20):1088-102.
  31. Tamimi NA, Ellis P. Drug development: from concept to marketing!. Nephron Clinical Practice. 2009 Oct 1;113(3):c125-31.
  32. Imming P, Sinning C, Meyer A. Drugs, their targets and the nature and number of drug targets. Nature reviews Drug discovery. 2006 Oct 1;5(10):821-34..
  33. Parada CA, Vivancos GG, Tambeli CH, Cunha FQ, Ferreira SH. Activation of presynaptic NMDA receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003;100(5):2923–8.
  34. Mashalidis EH, Sledz P, Lang S, Abell C. A three-stage biophysical screening cascade. Nat Protoc. 2013;8(11):2309–24.
  35. Keserű GM, Makara GM. Hit discovery and hit-to-lead approaches. Drug discovery today. 2006 Aug 1;11(15-16):741-8.
  36. Leeson P. Chemical beauty contest. Nature. 2012 Jan 26;481(7382):455-6.
  37. Kerns EH, Di L, Carter GT. In vitro solubility assays in drug discovery. Curr Drug Metab. 2008;9(9):879–85.
  38. Van Breemen RB, Li Y. Caco-2 cell permeability assays to measure drug absorption. Expert opinion on drug metabolism & toxicology. 2005 Aug 1;1(2):175-85.
  39. Baranczewski P, Stanczak A, Sundberg K, Svensson R, Wallin A, Jansson J, Garberg P, Postlind H. Introduction to in vitro estimation of metabolic stability and drug interactions of new chemical entities in drug discovery and development. Pharmacological reports. 2006 Jul 1;58(4):453.
  40. Yan Z, Caldwell GW. Metabolism profiling, and cytochrome P450 inhibition & induction in drug discovery. Current topics in medicinal chemistry. 2001 Nov 1;1(5):403-25.
  41. Riss TL, Moravec RA, Niles AL. Cytotoxicity testing: measuring viable cells, dead cells, and detecting mechanism of cell death. In: Cree IA, editor. Mammalian Cell Viability: Methods and Protocols. Totowa (NJ): Humana Press; 2011. p. 103-114.
  42. Pollard CE, Valentin JP, Hammond TG. Strategies to reduce the risk of drug‐induced QT interval prolongation: a pharmaceutical company perspective. British journal of pharmacology. 2008 Aug;154(7):1538-43.
  43. Gómez-Lechón MJ, Castell JV, Donato MT. The use of hepatocytes to investigate drug toxicity. In: Vinken M, Rogiers V, editors. Hepatocytes: Methods and Protocols. Totowa (NJ): Humana Press; 2010. p. 389-415.
  44. Kirsch-Volders M, Plas G, Elhajouji A, Lukamowicz M, Gonzalez L, Vande Loock K, Decordier I. The in vitro MN assay in 2011: origin and fate, biological significance, protocols, high throughput methodologies and toxicological relevance. Archives of toxicology. 2011 Aug;85(8):873-99.
  45. Kola I, Landis J. Can the pharmaceutical industry reduce attrition rates?. Nature reviews Drug discovery. 2004 Aug 1;3(8):711-6.
  46. Sun D, Lennernas H, Welage LS, Barnett JL, Landowski CP, Foster D, Fleisher D, Lee KD, Amidon GL. Comparison of human duodenum and Caco-2 gene expression profiles for 12,000 gene sequences tags and correlation with permeability of 26 drugs. Pharmaceutical research. 2002 Oct;19(10):1400-16.
  47. Sun D, Yu LX, Hussain MA, Wall DA, Smith RL, Amidon GL. In vitro testing of drug absorption for drug'developability'assessment: forming an interface between in vitro preclinical data and clinical outcome. Current opinion in drug discovery & development. 2004 Jan 1;7(1):75-85.
  48. Amidon GL, Lennernäs H, Shah VP, Crison JR. A theoretical basis for a biopharmaceutic drug classification: the correlation of in vitro drug product dissolution and in vivo bioavailability. Pharmaceutical research. 1995 Mar;12(3):413-20.
  49. Barraza SJ, Denmark SE. Synthesis, reactivity, functionalization, and ADMET properties of silicon-containing nitrogen heterocycles. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2018 May 15;140(21):6668-84.
  50. Davies M, Jones RD, Grime K, Jansson-Löfmark R, Fretland AJ, Winiwarter S, Morgan P, McGinnity DF. Improving the accuracy of predicted human pharmacokinetics: lessons learned from the AstraZeneca drug pipeline over two decades. Trends in pharmacological sciences. 2020 Jun 1;41(6):390-408.
  51. Di L, Kerns EH, Carter GT. Drug-like property concepts in pharmaceutical design. Current pharmaceutical design. 2009 Jul 1;15(19):2184-94.
  52. Yusof I, Segall MD. Considering the impact drug-like properties have on the chance of success. Drug Discovery Today. 2013 Jul 1;18(13-14):659-66.
  53. Steinmetz KL, Spack EG. The basics of preclinical drug development for neurodegenerative disease indications. BMC Neurol. 2009;9(Suppl 1):S2.
  54. Everitt JI. The future of preclinical animal models in pharmaceutical discovery and development: a need to bring in cerebro to the in vivo discussions. Toxicologic Pathology. 2015 Jan;43(1):70-7.
  55. Faqi AS, editor. A comprehensive guide to toxicology in preclinical drug development. Academic Press; 2012 Oct 18.
  56. Herter-Sprie GS, Kung AL, Wong KK. New cast for a new era: preclinical cancer drug development revisited. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2013 Sep 3;123(9):3639-45.
  57. Hoffman RM. Patient-derived orthotopic xenografts: better mimic of metastasis than subcutaneous xenografts. Nature Reviews Cancer. 2015 Aug;15(8):451-2.
  58. Shineman DW, Basi GS, Bizon JL, Colton CA, Greenberg BD, Hollister BA, Lincecum J, Leblanc GG, Lee LB, Luo F, Morgan D. Accelerating drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease: best practices for preclinical animal studies. Alzheimer's research & therapy. 2011 Sep 28;3(5):28.
  59. Espinal MA, Kim SJ, Suarez PG, Kam KM, Khomenko AG, Migliori GB, Baéz J, Kochi A, Dye C, Raviglione MC. Standard short-course chemotherapy for drug-resistant tuberculosis: treatment outcomes in 6 countries. Jama. 2000 May 17;283(19):2537-45.
  60. Walkup JT, Albano AM, Piacentini J, Birmaher B, Compton SN, Sherrill JT, et al. Cognitive behavioral therapy, sertraline, or a combination in childhood anxiety. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(26):2753–66.
  61. Keith CT, Borisy AA, Stockwell BR. Multicomponent therapeutics for networked systems. Nature reviews Drug discovery. 2005 Jan 1;4(1):71-8.
  62. Genina N, Boetker JP, Colombo S, Harmankaya N, Rantanen J, Bohr A. Anti-tuberculosis drug combination for controlled oral delivery using 3D printed compartmental dosage forms: From drug product design to in vivo testing. Journal of controlled Release. 2017 Dec 28;268:40-8.
  63. Huang J, Niu C, Green CD, Yang L, Mei H, Han JD. Systematic prediction of pharmacodynamic drug-drug interactions through protein-protein-interaction network. PLoS computational biology. 2013 Mar 21;9(3):e1002998
  64. Qato DM, Wilder J, Schumm LP, Gillet V, Alexander GC. Changes in prescription and over-the-counter medication and dietary supplement use among older adults in the United States, 2005 vs 2011. JAMA internal medicine. 2016 Apr;176(4):473-82.
  65. Wienkers LC, Heath TG. Predicting in vivo drug interactions from in vitro drug discovery data. Nature reviews Drug discovery. 2005 Oct 1;4(10):825-33.
  66. Juurlink DN, Mamdani M, Kopp A, Laupacis A, Redelmeier DA. Drug-drug interactions among elderly patients hospitalized for drug toxicity. Jama. 2003 Apr 2;289(13):1652-8.
  67. Beijnen JH, Schellens JH. Drug interactions in oncology. EJHP Practice. 2008;14(4):17-8.
  68. Finerman GA, Milch RA. In vitro binding of tetracyclines to calcium. Nature. 1963 May 4;198(4879):486-7.
  69. Kantrowitz PA, Siegel CI, Strong MJ, Hendrix TR. Response of the human oesophagus to d-tubocurarine and atropine. Gut. 1970 Jan 1;11(1):47-50.
  70. Sridharan K, Sivaramakrishnan G. Oral anticoagulant-proton pump inhibitor interactions: A pharmacovigilance assessment using disproportionality and interaction analyses. Pharmacy Practice. 2025;23(4):1-5.
  71. Roehrs RE, Krueger DS. Regulatory considerations. In: Mitra AK, editor. Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems. New York: CRC Press; 2003. p. 684-715.
  72. Bansal K, Pant P, Rao PR, Padhee K, Sathapathy A, Kochhar PS. Micronization and dissolution enhancement of norethindrone. Int J Res Pharm Chem. 2011;3:315-319.
  73. Sajid MA, Choudhary V. Solubility enhancement methods with importance of hydrotropy. Journal of Drug Delivery & Therapeutics. 2012;2(6):96-101.
  74. Uekama K. Design and evaluation of cyclodextrin-based drug formulation. Chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin. 2004;52(8):900-15.
  75. Ledwith BJ, DeGeorge JJ. Changes to ICH guideline M3: new and revised guidance on nonclinical safety studies to support human clinical trials and marketing authorization. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2011;89(2):295–9.
  76. Kondal A, Krishna GM, Bansal D. Clinical trial regulations in India: progress and challenges arising from recent amendments to schedule Y of the drugs and cosmetics (D&C) act 1940 (D&C rules 1945). Pharm Med. 2016;30(1):1–13.
  77. Guideline IH. Detection of toxicity to reproduction for medicinal products & toxicity to male fertility S5 (R2). In International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), Geneva, Switzerland 2005 Nov.
  78. Easterbrook J, Fackett D, Li AP. A comparison of aroclor 1254-induced and uninduced rat liver microsomes to human liver microsomes in phenytoin O-deethylation, coumarin 7-hydroxylation, tolbutamide 4-hydroxylation, S-mephenytoin 4′-hydroxylation, chloroxazone 6-hydroxylation and testosterone 6β-hydroxylation. Chemico-biological interactions. 2001 May 16;134(3):243.
  79. Volpe DA, Tomaszewski JE, Parchment RE, Garg A, Flora KP, Murphy MJ, Grieshaber CK. Myelotoxic effects of the bifunctional alkylating agent bizelesin on human, canine and murine myeloid progenitor cells. Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology. 1996 Nov;39(1):143-9.
  80. International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). Guideline for good clinical practice. J Postgrad Med. 2001;47(3):199–203.
  81. Porsolt RD, Picard S, Lacroix P. International safety pharmacology guidelines (ICH S7A and S7B): where do we go from here?. Drug development research. 2005 Feb;64(2):83-9.
  82. International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). The non-clinical evaluation of the potential for delayed ventricular repolarization (QT interval prolongation) by human pharmaceuticals S7B. Geneva: ICH; 2005 May 12.
  83. Tang F, Kunder R, Chu T, Hains A, Nguyen A, McBride J, et al. First-in-human phase 1 trial evaluating safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, GDC-2394, in healthy volunteers. Clin Transl Sci. 2023; 16:1653–66.
  84. Torres-Saavedra PA, Winter KA. An overview of phase 2 clinical trial designs. International Journal of Radiation Oncology* Biology* Physics. 2022 Jan 1;112(1):22-9.
  85. Van Norman GA. Phase II trials in drug development and adaptive trial design. JACC: Basic to Translational Science. 2019 Jun;4(3):428-37.
  86. Lau F, Seifert R. Comparison of drug approvals of the FDA and EMA between 2013 and 2023. Naunyn-schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology. 2026 Jan;399(1):279-99.

ADME studies are essential to the successful development of pharmaceutical compounds and offer detailed insights into a drug's pharmacokinetic profile. These important determinants collectively known as Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion (ADME) play a critical role in the assessment of new compound safety and efficacy and therapeutic performance. The present review provides an in-depth analysis of the role and importance of ADME studies from discovery to development of new drugs. These studies encompass drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, bioavailability excretion allowing the use of knowledge for the purposes of optimizing drug design, improving bioavailability and reducing toxicity thereby predicting drug-drug interactions. In the present scenario of pharmaceutical research, ADME profiling is employed both in preclinical and clinical stages so that desired result showing candidate get select with favourable dose. Early identification of error or unfavourable pharmacokinetic properties reduces the risk of attrition during stages of drug development thereby save time, money and resources. Moreover, ADME studies contribute to the development of safer and effective therapeutic agents by ensuring an appropriate balance between pharmacological activity and systemic exposure. Overall, ADME evaluation remains an important strategy for advancing drug candidates from discovery to clinical application

Keywords : Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, Drug-Drug Interaction, Candidate Selection, Optimised Drug Design.

Paper Submission Last Date
30 - June - 2026

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER CALL FOR PAPERS
Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe