Could you ever imagine a world without small molecule drug discovery? Even after more than 150 years since the discovery of the first synthetic drug the answer is still “no”. While newer modalities are emerging to address unmet medical needs, small molecules continue to play a vital role in present and future drug research.

In 2022, 18 out of 37 new FDA approved drugs (49%) were small molecules. This is not surprising given their intrinsic advantages over other modalities, such as easier membrane penetration, optimization for oral delivery, simpler synthesis, and high shelf-life stability, making them reliable and cost-effective treatments. Furthermore, small molecules are poised to benefit significantly from recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery, using huge historical data sets for faster compound synthesis and optimization.

While approaching drug discovery projects in a modality agnostic manner, at Evotec we can capitalize upon decades of expertise in small molecule drug discovery applied to hundreds of biological targets, across all target classes and therapeutic areas. By combining our scientific knowledge with cutting-edge machine learning tools in our unique R&D continuum, we are leading the way in the discovery of new small molecule drugs, revolutionizing the field of medicine.