Recent trends in medicinal chemistry and enabling technologies. Highlights from the Society for Medicines Research Conference. London - December 8, 2022

On December 9, 2010, the Society for Medicines Research held a one-day meeting entitled Trends in Medicinal Chemistry. This symposium, organized by Phillip Cowley, Neil Hales and Simon Ward, brought together a panel of international speakers to present and discuss the advances that are currently being made. In recent years, there have been significant changes to the landscape of the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this meeting was to allow scientists within drug discovery programs in biotech, pharma and academia to be updated on new methodologies and screening approaches, as well as capture best practices from key case study presentations.

The prevalences of overweightedness and obesity are increasing globally at frightening rates, driven by social and economic changes. Furthermore, obesity is associated with the pathogeneses of major diseases, particularly diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, no satisfactorily safe, effective obesity drugs are commercially available at the present time. Only two drugs have been approved in the United States for the long-term treatment of obesity, sibutramine and orlistat. However, these drugs are minimally effective and have significant side effects, which are likely inhibit their use. Therefore, there is a huge opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of obese people through the discovery and development of additional pharmacotherapeutic options. In this review article, the authors focus on selected trends in medicinal chemistry and the approaches used to develop drugs for treating obesity.

Purpose: This study aims to describe recent approaches and innovations in drug design rooted in medicinal chemistry, with particular emphasis on the contributions of computational methods and the exploration of natural compounds in the development of new drug candidates. Methodology/Approach: This literature review synthesizes current research on in silico techniques such as molecular docking, QSAR (Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship), and ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) prediction. It also examines the integration of natural product screening, synthetic compound optimization, and interdisciplinary approaches involving bioinformatics and pharmacogenomics. Results/Findings: Computational approaches have proven effective in reducing time and costs during the early phases of drug discovery. Natural products provide structurally diverse scaffolds with promising biological activities, particularly in the development of anticancer agents. The combination of medicinal chemistry with interdisciplinary fields enhances mechanistic understanding and supports the rational design of novel therapeutics. Conclusions: The convergence of computational innovation and interdisciplinary research significantly enhances the efficiency, precision, and scope of modern drug design, paving the way for more personalized and targeted therapies. Limitations: This study is based solely on secondary data from published literature and does not include empirical validation through laboratory experiments. Contribution: This review offers a comprehensive overview of emerging trends in medicinal chemistry and serves as a valuable reference for researchers, pharmaceutical scientists, and interdisciplinary teams seeking to advance drug discovery efforts.

To commemorate 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry, the Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists organized its 15th International Conference on 'Bridging Gaps in Discovery and Development: Chemical and Biological Sciences for Affordable Health, Wellness and Sustainability' at Hotel Grand Bhagwati, in association with Saurashtra University, Rajkot, India. Anamik Shah, President of the Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists, was organizing secretary of the conference. Nicole Moreau, President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and Secretary General of the Comité National de la Chimie, National Centre for Scientific Research France, was chief guest of the function. The four-day scientific program included 52 plenary lectures, 24 invited lectures by eminent scientists in the field and 12 oral presentations. A total of 317 posters were presented by young scientists and PhD students in three different poster sessions. Approximately 750 delegates from India, the USA, UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Japan and other countries attended the conference. The majority of the speakers gave presentations related to their current projects and areas of interest and many of the talks covered synthesis, structure-activity relationships, current trends in medicinal chemistry and drug research.

Trends in medicinal chemistry '88: Edited by H. van der Goot, G. Domany., L. Pallos and H. Timmerman. 860 pp. 1989. Elsevier, Amsterdam. Dfl 490; $258

Trends in medicinal chemistry '88: Edited by H. Van Der Goot, G. Domany, L. Pallos and H. Timmerman. 860 pp. 1989. Elsevier, Amsterdam. D.Fl 490. $258

Trends in medicinal chemistry: Highlights from the Society for Medicines Research Symposium held on December 9, 2010 at NHLI, London, UK

Trends in medicinal chemistry. Highlights from the society for medicines research symposium. London, UK - December 6, 2018

The alkaloid piperine has always attracted the interest of pharmaceutical botanists for its biological activities and pharmacokinetics-modulating properties. It is currently used in combination with other compounds for the treatment of several diseases. Starting from its peculiar structure, medicinal chemists have explored the chemical space around the amide portion, the conjugated double bond chain and the benzodioxole ring. This approach led to a large plethora of derivatives, which diversified the properties of the parent compound or improved its potency against specific targets or biological systems. In this chapter, several classes of piperine derivatives have been discussed and classified according to the proposed therapeutic use, with a particular attention on their structure-activity relationships and biological activity values.

Following his academic studies at the University of Surrey (UK), Graham Warrellow entered the pharmaceutical industry to pursue a career at the forefront of drug discovery. Following successful spells at Wyeth, Celltech and Almirall, he joined UCB as the Vice President for Chemistry UK. Through this role and as a director at Cyclofluidic, a joint venture of UCB and Pfizer, he has witnessed changing trends in medicinal chemistry R&D over recent years. Dr Warrellow speaks to Isaac Bruce, Commissioning Editor, about industry collaborations, what qualities make for a good medicinal chemist and the future of the pharmaceutical industry.

Trends in medicinal chemistry: Highlights from the Society for Medicines Research Symposium, held December 3, 2015 - National Hearth and Lung Institute, London, UK

Current Trends in Medicinal Chemistry

Trends in medicinal chemistry: Edited by E Mutschler and E Winterfeldt. pp 634. VCH Weinheim, W Germany. 1987 ISBN 9-527-26592-9

The Anglo-Swedish Medicinal Chemistry Symposium is normally held in the skiing resort of Are in Sweden, but this year, for the first time, the meeting was held at the AstraZeneca R&D site in Lund. The meeting was divided into five sections, consisting of a total of 19 high-quality lectures. In chronological order these sections were: kinases and ATPases; overcoming problems associated with multifunctional targets; achieving selectivity by tissue distribution; enzymes and transporters; challenges and trends in medicinal chemistry; and G protein-coupled receptors.

Chapter One - Challenges in Drug Discovery at Schering–Plough Research Institute: A Personal Reflection