Virtual clinical trials are clinical trials conducted through computer simulation technology, which breaks through the limitations of traditional clinical trials and has the advantages of saving time, reducing costs, and reducing the risk of human trials. With the application of new computer technologies such as population pharmacokinetics, physiologically-based pharmacokinetics, quantitative systems pharmacology, and artificial intelligence, the field of virtual clinical trials in healthcare has become an important development direction. This article will give a preliminary review of the connotation, methods and future development trends of virtual clinical trials, aiming to provide reference for the application of new technologies and methods in clinical trials.
Population pharmacokinetics is a research technique based on computer simulation and data analysis, and it has been employed to investigate the dynamic behavior of drug metabolism in different populations. This approach could address practical challenges such as prolonged clinical trial durations, high costs, and increased difficulty in traditional clinical trials. By comprehensively analyzing differences in the internal drug metabolism processes across populations with varying physiological and pathological conditions, population pharmacokinetics has emerged as an effective method to optimize drug development and clinical applications. This article provides a preliminary overview of the essence of population pharmacokinetics, its application in clinical trials, and potential future trends. We hope to serve as a reference and guidance for the application of new technologies and methods in clinical trials.