Refining the chemical toolbox to be fit for educational and practical purpose for drug discovery in the 21st Century

Abstract

We live in a time where exploration and generation of new knowledge is occurring on a colossal scale. Medicinal chemists have traditionally taken key roles in drug discovery; however, the many unmet medical demands in the healthcare sector emphasise the need to evolve the medicinal chemistry discipline. To rise to the challenges in the 21st Century there is a necessity to refine the chemical toolbox for educational and practical reasons. This review proposes modern strategies that are beneficial to teaching in academia but are also important reminders of strategies that can potentially lead to better drugs.