Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Modification and Functionalization of the Guanidine Group by Tailor-made Precursors
Published on: April 27, 2017
The many faces of the adamantyl group in drug design
Joe Liu1, Daniel Obando, Vivian Liao
1School of Medical Sciences (Pharmacology) and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Blackburn Building D06, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
Abstract:
Adamantyl-based compounds are used clinically for the treatment of neurological conditions, as anti-viral agents and as agents against type 2 diabetes. The value of the adamantyl group in drug design is multidimensional. The hydrophobic substituent constant for the adamantyl group has been estimated from the calculated partition coefficients (clogP values) of 31 adamantyl-bearing compounds in the clinic or in development as πadamantyl=3.1, which indicates that the logP value of a compound with high water solubility (logP<<0) could be moved with an adamantyl-based modification to a region that is more clinically useful. The steric bulk of the adamantyl group can: (i) restrict or modulate intramolecular reactivity; and (ii) impede the access of hydrolytic enzymes, thereby increasing drug stability and plasma half life. The value of the adamantyl group in drug design has been recognized most recently in the design of agents to treat iron overload disease (in development), malaria (in clinical trials) and type 2 diabetes (in the clinic).
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Adrenergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship
Aromatic ring substitutions: Substituting the aromatic ring with –OH groups at positions 3 and 4 yields catecholamines (e.g., epinephrine), which have a high affinity for adrenoceptors. Hydrogen bonding between –OH groups and receptors enhances adrenergic activity.
Separation of the aromatic...
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...
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Acyclic Diene Metathesis (ADMET)
Similar to cross-metathesis, ADMET also involves the formation of metallacyclobutane intermediate by [2+2] cycloaddition of one of the double bonds of a terminal diene with...
Prochirality
Targets for Drug Action: Overview
Receptors are either membrane-spanning or intracellular proteins, which upon binding a ligand, get activated and transmit the signal downstream to elicit a response. Drugs bind receptors, either mimicking the action of endogenous ligands or blocking the receptor activity to bring about a modified response. Nearly 35% of approved drugs target the G...
Principles of Drug Action
Drugs can be agonists or antagonists. Like the endogenous ligands, agonists always bind and activate the target to produce a cellular response. Agonist binding induces a conformational change which in turn...

