WHY IS ADME SO IMPORTANT? - 1

At first let us understand, What is Drug Discovery Phase and Drug Development Phase?

Drug discovery phase includes identification of new biological target which is therapeutically useful, hit to lead, lead optimization and selecting/nominating a molecule from all these screens for the next stage. [~ 4 year’s time]

Drug development phase includes preclinical testing in animals, preliminary clinical trials in man and later full clinical trials. [~2 years + ~ 8 years] 

Few years back, drug candidate’s survival or failure to the next stage is mostly understood only during the initial drug development phase.  Literature survey indicates that – back then the most prominent cause for the failure of drug candidates (or market withdrawal of drugs) is linked to the poor ADME/PK properties. 

Is it worthwhile to wait for such a long period of time to get a negative/positive result and to decide the fate of molecule under investigation?

Is it possible to know and understand ADME profile of molecules as early as possible probably during discovery phase itself ??  This thought by medicinal chemists few years back has provided us today with a platform where ADME profiling of molecules can be performed as early as in drug discovery phase itself.