The Time and Place for Nature in Drug Discovery

Area of Science:

• Medicinal Chemistry
• Drug Discovery
• Biomimetic Chemistry

Background:

• A decline in the natural product-likeness of licensed drugs impacts physicochemical properties.
• Current drug discovery practices may benefit from incorporating nature-inspired molecular design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the rationale for renewed focus on nature in drug discovery, emphasizing biomimetic molecules.
• To explore how biomimetic strategies can enhance drug design in the era of AI and high-throughput screening.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on natural products and biomimetic chemistry.
• Analysis of physicochemical trends in licensed drugs.
• Consideration of protein-enzyme interactions and natural recognition processes.

Main Results:

• Molecules produced by natural processes (enzymes) are more likely to interact effectively with biological targets.
• Nature's limited building blocks offer diverse chemical space for property-based drug design.
• Pseudo-natural products and bioprocessing routes offer avenues for enhanced natural mimicry.

Conclusions:

• Harnessing biomimetic principles and natural recognition processes can drive innovation in drug synthesis.
• Computational guidance can aid in designing tailored molecules with improved disposition and efficacy.
• Biomimetic approaches support greener and more sustainable drug manufacturing.