Translational pharmacology is contemporary; it efficiently covers the progress of research from cellular and animal experiments to the patient. Its logical reasoning is deductive by definition. Abductive reasoning in pharmacological research is often placed second. Although straightforward processes might suit some organizational models, a reasoning process preferring only one direction may sacrifice opportunities. Both directions of reasoning may lead to independent yet comparable or even identical successes, and it is only by using both together that one gains the full benefit of human intellectual resources.