Drug discovery becomes Facebook game

German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim has launched a game based on the drug discovery process. After two years of work, Syrum is now available as a beta version through social media platform Facebook – except within the US and Canada. The game is intended to ‘demonstrate the complex processes around medicine research and development through gaming mechanics’.

Players run a drug company. The goal is to solve a global public health crisis by creating a medicine, conducting clinical trials and finally taking that medicine to the market. The trailer for the game starts with the message: ‘The health of the world is in danger…and you’re the only one that can save us’.

Full global launch is planned for 2013.