Basic Research

The research process for an innovative phytomedicine starts with the screening of new plants.

Schwabe's natural compound research specialists and chemists then produce extracts of the plant using different solvents and extraction methods.

They seek to characterise pharmacologically active ingredients in order to increase their content in the finished product by modifying the extraction procedures. Both the extracts as well as isolated active substances are subsequently tested with regard to their therapeutic action by means of a high performance screening system. For this purpose Schwabe takes advantage of modern drug discovery tools such as microarrays.

The optimal active compounds and extracts are documented in data bases in the form of a plant extract library. Extracts likely to elicit the desired pharmacological effects are selected for further development.