[The role of high throughput screening in the early stage of drug research].

High throughput screening (HTS) became an integral part of the early phase drug discovery process. Although the methodology itself is widely accepted as a powerful tool of lead discovery there are a number of positive and also negative opinions associated to its application. This paper gives a short introduction to HTS technology, summarizes primary experiences and points out latest changes in screening strategy and technology. Development and application of the new screening facility of Gedeon Richter is also reported.