Figure 2.

The scientist engineer approach to therapeutic discovery. The approach leverages quantitative modeling and employs forward and reverse engineering principles to derive understanding of the disease system (top). Informatics approaches, such as chemoinformatics or EHR studies, and PBPK models inform the druggability, tunability (the extent to which a target can be modulated), or relevance of a drug target (middle). Final decisions aggregate these data and assess desired specifications when selecting a lead compound (bottom). EHR: electronic health record; PBPK: physiologically based pharmacokinetic.