"Established targets" are those for which there is a good scientific   understanding, supported by a lengthy publication history, of both how the   target functions in normal physiology and how it is involved in human pathology.   This does not imply that the mechanism of action of drugs that are   thought to act through a particular established targets is fully understood.   Rather, "established" relates directly to the amount of background information   available on a target, in particular functional information. The more such   information is available, the less investment is (generally) required to develop   a therapeutic directed against the target.  |