Network Pharmacology

The one-drug/one-target/one-disease approach to drug discovery is presently facing many challenges of safety, efficacy, and sustainability. Network biology and polypharmacology approaches gained appreciation recently as methods for omics data integration and multitarget drug development, respectively. The combination of these two approaches created a novel paradigm called network pharmacology (NP) that looks at the effect of drugs on both the interactome and the diseasome level. Ayurveda, the traditional system of Indian medicine, uses intelligent formulations containing multiple ingredients and multiple bioactive compounds; however, the scientific rationale and mechanisms remain largely unexplored. NP approaches can serve as a valuable tool for evidence-based Ayurveda to understand the medicines’ putative actions, indications, and mechanisms. This chapter discusses NP and its potential to explore traditional medicine systems to overcome the drug discovery impasse.