CRO Chemistry: Medicinal Chemistry

Discovering new medicines through medicinal chemistry

Medicinal chemistry is the iterative process of optimizing early lead compounds into viable clinical candidates. Complex structure-based data from a variety of sources such as enzyme activity, drug metabolism and physicochemical properties are used to design new analogs that are potent, safe and effective. New England Discovery Partners is staffed with highly experienced scientists who have worked on diverse programs in a variety of therapeutic areas, each with specialized target profiles. As a result, we work closely with our research partners, delivering scientific excellence in a highly efficient, effective and collaborative manner. Specific services include:

  • Lead identification and optimization: design and synthesis of new analogs to optimize potency, selectivity, efficacy, bioavailability, metabolism, etc.
  • Parallel synthesis
  • Hit confirmation and expansion (confirm structure and activity of hit clusters). Synthesis of selected analogs to evaluate scaffolds and select lead series
  • Small molecule patent strategy development and implementation (done in collaboration with law firm)
  • Project management and consulting

The NEDP team maintained a very consistent, high level of productivity throughout the project, even as our needs changed from discovery through preclinical development, they quickly solved complex chemistry challenges that other more expensive CROs could not.

Intellectual Property

As medicinal chemists and business executives with decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, we understand that intellectual property is the primary value driver for drug discovery research. We work closely with our clients and patent attorneys to develop effective patent strategies to ensure the broadest, most complete patent coverage.

Structure-Based Drug Design

The use of X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling to understand enzyme-inhibitor binding interactions can dramatically accelerate the process of optimizing early lead compounds, transforming them from leads with weak activities into highly potent, and selective, clinical candidates. Whenever possible, we incorporate these technologies in our drug discovery collaborations in order to maximize our effectiveness. Specific services include:

  • Protein production and purification
  • X-ray crystallography of small molecule inhibitors bound to protein targets
  • Molecular modeling for lead optimization
  • Biophysical analysis of protein-inhibitor interactions
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NEDP Selected Discoveries

Take a closer look at the case histories highlighting some of our most exciting discoveries.

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