Polyvalency: a promising strategy for drug design
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Diagonal Method to Measure Synergy Among Any Number of Drugs
Published on: June 21, 2018
David Vance1, Mrinal Shah, Amit Joshi
1The Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110, 8th Street, Ricketts Building, Troy, New York 12180, USA.
Abstract:
The simultaneous binding of multiple ligands on one entity to multiple receptors on another can result in an affinity that is significantly greater than that for the binding of a single ligand to a single receptor. This concept of "polyvalency" can be used to design molecules that are potent inhibitors of toxins and pathogens. We describe the design of potent polyvalent inhibitors that neutralize anthrax toxin in vivo as well as our attempts to elucidate the relationship between inhibitor structure and activity. We also highlight promising future avenues for research in polyvalent drug design.
Related Concept Videos
Structure-Activity Relationships and Drug Design
SAR studies the intricate relationship between a drug's chemical structure and biological activity. It focuses on understanding how modifications to a drug's structure can influence its...
Drug Discovery: Overview
Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets
Bioequivalence of Drugs: Drugs with Multiple Indications
Site-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Polymeric Carriers
Drug-Receptor Interactions
Several parameters, such as the drug's affinity for its receptor and its efficacy, which is its ability to activate the receptor, determine the drug's effect on the tissue.
