Paper – a potential platform in pharmaceutical development

• We revisit the process of drug discovery and the obstacles to success.
• We summarize the applications of paper-based bioassays.
• We examine the impact of paper-based platforms on in vitro pre-compound screening.

Paper is predominantly composed of cellulose fibers that have an inherent ability to wick fluids by capillary action; it provides an interesting diagnostic platform that is inexpensive, easily obtained, and eco-friendly. Paper has been used in various types of biologically relevant applications including paper-based molecular assays, paper-based ELISA (P-ELISA), paper-based nucleic acid assays, and paper-based cell assays. Based on recent successes with the use of paper as a platform, we contend that paper is not only very suitable for diagnostics but could provide a more advantageous platform than current plastics-based platforms for drug discovery, and would be useful for accomplishing in vitro pre-compound screening steps while offering a possible solution to several economic obstacles inherent in the pharmaceutical industry.