Our Scope Expansion to Include Biologics

Abstract

Chemical compounds with relatively low molecular weights, so-called small molecules in pharmaceutical parlance, have been the mainstay of drug-based therapeutics for many decades. More recently, large molecules, known as biologics, have received increasing attention and have become a large segment of drug research and development. Biologics have become an important segment of marketed drugs and are expected to expand further in the future. Most drug discovery and development organizations have shifted their business objectives over the past few years to emphasize protein-based therapeutic agents, such that they will become a greater proportion of their therapeutic pipelines. This transition, a dramatic shift from small-molecule drugs to high-value biopharmaceuticals, has powered a vibrant biotechnology expansion with the concomitant rise of many biopharma enterprises. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters recognizes this shift in the landscape of drug discovery and development, as well as the important contributions of medicinal chemists to the field of large-molecule therapeutics. Consequently, the journal is extending its welcome to medicinal chemistry-oriented manuscripts associated with molecular entities that are commonly referred to as “biologics”. Some examples include, but are not limited to, medicinal chemistry aspects of antibody–drug conjugates; protein therapeutics; and passive or active immunotherapies. The Editors encourage the submission of manuscripts pertaining to the identification, synthesis, optimization, and biological characterization of large bioactive molecules and drugs, as a complement to our long-standing emphasis on small molecular entities. As such, our advice to prospective authors has been modified accordingly in Instructions for Authors on our Web site.