Chemistry in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

This chapter discusses the role of chemistry within the pharmaceutical industry. Although the focus is upon the industry within the United States, much of the discussion is equally relevant to pharmaceutical companies based in other nations, for example Japan and those in Europe. The primary objective of the pharmaceutical industry is the discovery, development, and marketing of safe and efficacious drugs for the treatment of human disease. However, drug companies must earn profits in order to remain viable and finance the essential research and development that leads to new drugs designed to address unmet medical need. Thus, there exists a tension between the dual goals of enhancing the quality and duration of human life and increasing stockholder or private investor equity. The chapter provides an overview of the processes and activities involved in drug discovery and development with an emphasis on the role of chemists. Examples of marketed drugs are provided and are organized by the major disease areas. Several important drug discovery strategies and technologies that may be employed when applicable are briefly summarized. A section on process chemistry provides an overview of the topic and then describes some recent actual examples. Despite the considerable benefits provided by therapeutic agents discovered to date, there remains considerable unmet medical need in many disease areas. Pharmaceutical research will continue to be challenging but it is anticipated that creative medicinal, analytical, and process chemists will be needed at the forefront to enable the future discovery of new medicines and to bring improvements to the overall effectiveness of the field.