Medicinal Chemistry Core

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

SUMMARY The Medicinal Chemistry Core (MCC) will provide synthetic and medicinal chemistry, cheminformatics, and structure-based design resources complementary to those existing within the respective project teams. It will integrate tightly with the other Cores. The MCC resource will distinguish itself by relying on extensive pharmaceutical medicinal chemistry experience in antifungals melded with academic strengths in drug discovery and development. Critically, the MCC staff leadership has demonstrated an ability to produce drug candidates by evolving small molecules to address a wide range of problems encountered during the lead optimization process. This experience will be essential to: Project 1) the lead optimization of novel analogs of M743 to reach the desired product profile and Project 2) the lead optimization of β-1,3-glucan synthase inhibitors with enhanced urinary tract exposure. These projects necessitate experience with a diverse range of chemistries and especially natural product chemistry as found in the description of the MCC member backgrounds. Overall, the spectrum and depth of the MCC staff's industrial and academic background will prove critical to their ability to optimize leads within the individual projects to molecules with significant potential for positively impacting the antifungal clinical landscape to address the global health crisis.