Drug research on new potentially effective drugs, incl. vaccines, is one of the goals of the medical sciences which constitute an integral part of national and transnational health-support programs. Today, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more visible than ever that this process needs a solid backing in the societies, especially in the Visegrad countries. Positive
societal attitudes and research successes can only stem from increased knowledge and awareness, not only of the academic communities but also common citizens of the V4 region. Analyses across all therapeutic areas indicate that the development of new medicine, from molecule synthesis, through target identification and approval for marketing, takes over 12 years. Despite advances in biotechnology, this process is lengthy, costly and difficult. Increased cooperation between the V4 researchers will help in building new standardized
interdisciplinary approaches, potentially accelerating drug discovery in the V4 region and building the region’s competitive advantage. False opinions about medicines, leading to skepticism, overconsumption or misuse that are noticed in V4 countries, call for improving the
safety of drug use and health awareness of the population by introducing educational programs aimed not only at the partnership between researchers, but also focused on students, young researchers and general population.

Sustainable Development Goals

Masaryk University is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to improve the conditions and quality of life on our planet by 2030.