8. Conclusion

The microfluidic process therefore represents a relevant tool, particularly in the pharmaceutical field. In this article, we have assessed the potential of microfluidics in all areas of drug development. The level of maturity and the degree of use are not identical between the different stages of pharmaceutical development, but this tool offers numerous advantages. Miniaturization and continuous processing considerably increase screening efficiency (saving time and reducing costs), and enable better control of chemical reactions, physicochemical phenomena and mixtures (bringing reproducibility and robustness to processes). Today, microfluidics even makes it possible to envisage innovative turnkey devices in therapeutics and diagnostics: personalized medicine and direct use by the patient are in the firing line. Nevertheless, many questions remain to be answered: defining quality control...