Drug Design, Synthesis and Development
Nathan Keighley · 2024
The interactions of a drug in the body are referred to as pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Drugs are designed to optimise binding interactions with their target. This may not necessarily require the strongest possible binding, as the effects of the drug may need to be reversible, and this will also have implications for the dosing regime of the drug. The pharmacokinetics of how a drug travels needs to be considered for the entirety of the drug’s passage through the body through absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity, abbreviated as ADMET. The binding interactions that are required of the drug need to be carefully considered during the synthesis of the drug. Binding groups need to be positioned on the correct place for optimised binding interactions. Therefore, aspects of the regioselectivity of the reactions used to make the drug must be carefully selected.