Metabolomics accelerates drug development and facilitates the discovery of new targets, mechanisms and structures.

Metabolomics is an emerging technology developed in recent years, that aims to detect small molecules in vivo to reflect the metabolic status of an organism. This technology can be seamlessly integrated into various stages of drug development, as the traditional drug development process relies on analyzing intrinsic changes in phenotypic conditions to identify potential therapeutic targets. Over more than a decade of research, we found that metabolomics facilitates the discovery of potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers and enables more rapid screening of lead compounds. Additionally, metabolomics plays a crucial role in the toxicological evaluation of drugs during the pre-marketing phase and in maintaining focus post-marketing. However, the field faces challenges such as reliance on a single database, complicated sample preparation, and difficulty in distinguishing the specificity of metabolites. Despite these challenges, the long-term development of metabolomics, especially when combined with other omics technologies, holds significant promise for advancing drug development and personalized therapeutic regimens.