ABSTRACT
The discovery and invention of new chemical entities that will prove to be clinically useful drugs is challenging. First and foremost, therapeutic drugs must observe afnity to the intended target(s). Then, drugs must be able to be administered by a reasonable route, and importantly, they must be able to distribute to the tissue where the target receptor resides with a relevant exposure and halflife. Physicochemical properties determine oral absorption, drug metabolism, toxicity, and in the context of molecular architecture determine the pharmacological properties. In this chapter, we will discuss principles for drug design aimed at increasing the chances of success. First, we will introduce the concept of drugability followed by methods that can assist decision making during drug discovery.
