Traditionally, drug action and safety has involved monitoring gross physiological changes to animals dosed with drug. With increased regulatory scrutiny, understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of drug action and safety has become paramount. Furthermore, with increasing numbers of drug candidates and potential targets, earlier information on potential drug safety issues is required before deciding which compounds to take into the clinic.

Metabolomics, the global pro ling of biochemicals, provides unparalleled insight into the mechanistic action of drugs.  The simultaneous analysis of hundreds of biochemicals and metabolites enables the identi cation of both on-target and off-target effects. Also, many of these biochemical changes are seen within hours of dosing, providing earlystage indication of drug safety issues.