Compound Libraries: Recent Advances and Their Applications in Drug Discovery

Area of Science:

• Drug discovery and development
• Medicinal chemistry
• Chemical biology

Background:

• Hit identification is crucial for small-molecule drug discovery and the pharmaceutical industry.
• In vitro assay screening of compound libraries is a primary method for hit identification.
• High-throughput screening (HTS) has been impactful but relies on library size and resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the progress and classification of compound libraries.
• To discuss library design methods, focusing on focused libraries.
• To report on the status of compound libraries at WuXi.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review from 1986 to 2017.
• Organized research into 5 detailed sections.
• Summarized sources, classifications, and progress in library types.

Main Results:

• Overview of combinatorial and DNA-encoded libraries (DELs).
• Detailed introduction to library design, particularly focused libraries.
• Report on the current state of compound libraries at WuXi.

Conclusions:

• Progress in compound libraries, including drug template libraries, DELs, and focused libraries, aids in identifying better hits for novel drug targets.
• These libraries accelerate hit identification, benefiting academic institutions and small companies.
• Advancements in compound libraries are vital for promoting pharmaceutical industry development, especially for first-in-class drugs.