An ideal drug candidate should possess good pharmacological activity, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity properties. Historically, there are around 6,000 drugs being used in humans and approximately 3,000 still in clinical use, not including herbal medicines. This Pharmaceutical Index series focuses on the profiles of 500 pharmaceutically marketed products from the past two decades. Professor Dr. K. Barry Sharpless is Honorary Editor-in-Chief of this first Index by Pharmacodia. The volume includes 24 NCEs worldwide approved drugs in 2013. Pharmacodia plan to publish two further volumes which will feature 2014 NCEs (32 drugs) and 2015 NCEs (25 drugs).