People have experimented with substances created from minerals, plants, and animal parts to treat illness, pain, and to improve health. The Chinese and Greeks experimented with opium, known for its pain-relieving qualities, while Hindus used the cannabis, henbane plants and the root of the plant Rauwolfia serpentina, which contains reserpine, as a tranquilizer.

With advances in biotechnology and information technology pharmaceutical companies are transforming drug discovery and development. With new biotechnology processes, scientists have learned a great deal about human genes, translating that knowledge into viable new drugs. Where it once took more than 10 years to develop a new drug, advances in technology and the knowledge of how cells work have allowed pharmaceutical manufacturing makers dramatically cut the incubation period. New technology allows scientists to test thousands of drug candidates each day.