What drug design and discovery is and why it's important
The process of the design/discovery of drugs typically involves understanding the character of targets (e.g. enzyme, cell, tissues, etc) related to the disease, setting-up the concept of drug design, providing lead compounds (via traditional medicines, natural products, biological macromolecules, compound libraries, computational chemistry, etc.), and design and lead optimisation by means of analysing structure-activity-relationships. A deep understanding of this process in addition to the mode of action at a molecular level will help pharmacists with decisions on appropriate dosing and administration of medicines.
Drugs play an important role in our world, not only as effective substances for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, but also to improve “quality of life”; enabling people to live with a disease as appropriate for their social and cultural background. When we discover or design a new drug, along with it comes great potential impact on life and quality of life.
About us and our objectives
Developing pharmaceutical sciences related to medicinal chemistry, and connecting pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists from the point of view of drug design and discovery is the goal of this special interest group. Our objectives are to:
- Provide discussion of pharmaceutical science related to medicinal chemistry
- Educate pharmacists in drug discovery research and development
- Provide up-to-date information and new findings on drug discovery
- Collaborate on work related to pharmaceuticals and the environment
How we work
The special interest group is chaired by Prof. Takuya Kumamoto (Hiroshima University, Japan) and vice-chaired by Prof. Christopher McCurdy (University of Florida, USA).
Prof. Takuya Kumamoto | Prof. Christopher McCurdy |
Activities
Our recent activities include:
- Preparation of a session on "Antimicrobial resistance and environmental pollution with medicines" (Abu Dhabi, 2019)
- Speakers on the “Environmental impact of drug manufacturing” and “Pharmaceuticals in surface and ground water: Case in Nigeria” (video interview), organised for a session on “Responsible supply chains to assure global health” at the 6th Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress (Stockholm, 2017).
- “The science and the development of non-addictive opioid receptor agonists” presentation during the session “No more pain! The rise of non-narcotic opioids and medicinal marijuana” at the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Buenos Aires, 2016).
- Collaboration with FIP’s Working Group on Pharmaceuticals and Environment, leading to the development of a reference document “Green pharmacy practice”.
Contact/Get involved
The starting point for developing a new drug is research work in medicinal chemistry. To work in medicinal chemistry, broad knowledge is needed: in organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular and structural biology, pharmacology, genetics, toxicology, computer technology, and other disciplines. We welcome the participation of pharmaceutical scientists from widespread research areas in our discussions.
For more information about this special interest group or to get involved, please email Prof. Kumamoto: DrugDesignDiscovery@fip.org.