#chirality

🧭 The Molecular Grammar of Medicines: Isomerism, Chirality, and Stereochemical Relationships Explained

Leave a Comment / Chiral science, Chirality, Drug stereochemistry, Stereochemistry / By / , , , , , / November 11, 2025

“Where molecules speak, stereochemistry gives them meaning“ In pharmaceuticals, structure is language — and stereochemistry is its grammar. The way atoms arrange in 3D space shapes how drugs work, how they are regulated, and how safe they are. This Chiralpedia tutorial simplifies the molecular “grammar” behind drug behavior and innovation. When Structure Speaks Every drug molecule has a story written in its structure. Two compounds may share the same formula yet act entirely differently due …

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The Hidden Chirality in Drug Metabolites: A metabolic blind spot

Leave a Comment / Chiral science, Chirality, Drug stereochemistry / By / , , , , / October 26, 2025

“Chirality isn’t hidden — we just stopped looking closely enough” The Unseen Journey After the Dose: đź’Š When a patient swallows a drug, the journey is far from over. Sometimes, the real chiral story begins after the dose. The drug molecule meets a series of enzymes — oxidases, reductases, transferases — each capable of transforming it into one or more metabolites. We often assume these are simply inactive breakdown products, but chemistry rarely plays it …

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When Drug Labels Miss the Twist: The regulatory bind spot

Leave a Comment / Chiral Pharmacology, Chiral science, Chirality / By / , , , , , / October 24, 2025

“When chemistry tells two stories, the label should tell both” Drug labels tell us what’s inside — but not always how the molecule twists. And sometimes, that subtle twist changes everything: how a drug acts, how it’s regulated, and even whether it’s safe or addictive. Chirality — the property of handedness in molecules — has always shaped pharmacology. One mirror image of a molecule (an enantiomer) can save lives, while its twin may do little …

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Part 10: Stereochemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences – Current Trends and Future Directions

Leave a Comment / Stereochemistry / By / , , / October 6, 2025

“Beyond today – emerging trends shaping the future of stereochemistry in pharma” Introduction The landscape of stereochemistry in pharmaceutical sciences continues to evolve with scientific and technological advances. This final part looks at emerging trends and future challenges. These include: – New developments in asymmetric catalysis, such as organocatalysts (MacMillan/List catalysts) that have expanded the toolkit for chiral synthesis, and the 2021 Nobel recognition of this field – implying more green and metal-free asymmetric processes …

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Part 9: Stereochemistry in Drug Discovery and Development

Leave a Comment / Stereochemistry / By / , , / October 3, 2025

“From hit to lead to medicine – where stereochemistry shapes every stage of discovery” Introduction Stereochemistry is not only crucial in the final stages of drug production – it plays a significant role right from the discovery and lead optimization phases. In this part, we consider how medicinal chemists account for chirality when designing compounds and how structure-activity relationships (SAR) can depend on stereochemistry. We also look at how screening libraries incorporate stereochemical diversity, and …

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Ibuprofen

Leave a Comment / Chiral Pharmacology, Chiral science / By / , , / September 29, 2025

Ibuprofen is a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It is a monocarboxylic acid that is propionic acid in which one of the hydrogens at position 2 is substituted by a 4-(2-methylpropyl)phenyl group. Hence belongs to the propionic acid derivative class of NSAIDs. It is commonly prescribed for pain, inflammation, and fever. Available as over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medication worldwide. Chirality and Biological Activity Structurally, Ibuprofen is a chiral molecule with one stereogenic center at the α-position …

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Part 8: Stereochemistry in Biologics and Natural Products

Leave a Comment / Stereochemistry / By / , / October 3, 2025

“Nature’s stereochemists – chirality in biologics, peptides, and natural products” Introduction Stereochemistry is inherent in biological macromolecules and natural products. This part explores chirality beyond small synthetic drugs – specifically, in biologics (peptides, proteins, nucleic acids) and in natural product-derived drugs. We examine how nature’s biosynthetic machinery imparts stereochemistry with high fidelity (e.g., enzymes produce single enantiomers of amino acids, sugars, complex polyketides). We discuss examples of drugs that are derived from natural chirality (like …

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Part 5: Stereoselective and Stereospecific Synthesis

Leave a Comment / Stereochemistry / By / , , / September 10, 2025

“Crafting molecules with precision – the art of stereochemical synthesis” Introduction Having seen why the correct stereochemistry is crucial for drug efficacy and safety, the next challenge is how to obtain the desired stereoisomer. This part covers strategies and methods in stereoselective and stereospecific synthesis. We clarify the terminology: a stereoselective reaction preferentially yields one stereoisomer over others (e.g., one enantiomer or one diastereomer is favored), whereas a stereospecific reaction produces different stereoisomeric products from …

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Part 4: Stereochemistry in Drug Action and Pharmacology

Leave a Comment / Stereochemistry / By / , / October 2, 2025

“Why one enantiomer heals while the other may harm – the pharmacology of chirality” Introduction Chirality doesn’t just influence drug properties in theory – it has very real consequences in pharmacology. In this section, we explore how stereochemistry affects drug action at multiple levels: pharmacodynamics (drug-receptor interactions) and pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion). We will define terms like eutomer (the more active enantiomer) and distomer (the less active one) and introduce the concept of the …

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Part 3: Nomenclature and Configuration

Leave a Comment / Stereochemistry / By / , , / September 4, 2025

“Decoding the rules: how chemists name and navigate molecular twists.” Introduction Correctly describing the stereochemistry of a molecule is as important as understanding it. In this part, we focus on the Cahn–Ingold–Prelog (CIP) system, which provides the rules for unambiguous assignment of absolute configuration at stereocenters (R/S) and for double bond geometry (E/Z) system. We will outline the CIP priority rules step-by-step and demonstrate how to apply them to pharmaceutical molecules. Additionally, we will discuss …

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