David S. Wishart lab at the University of Alberta and The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC), Canada
identifier format
DB<5-digit integer> (e.g., DB00945 for acetylsalicylic acid)
license
Free web viewing and academic research licensing; commercial use requires a paid license
introduced
2006
Core Principles & Analysis
First released in 2006 at the University of Alberta with 841 FDA-approved small-molecule drugs and 113 biotech drugs, DrugBank has grown by Version 6.0 (2024) to nearly 12,000 drug entries including over 4,000 approved small molecules and 1,600 biologics.
Each DrugBank DrugCard integrates chemical structures and experimental NMR/MS spectra with clinical pharmacology: mechanisms of action, CYP450 metabolizing enzymes, drug–drug and food–drug interactions, and ADMET parameters.
Its target records cross-link every approved and investigational therapeutic directly to human protein sequences, transporter classifications, and pharmaco-transcriptomic and metabolomic pathways.