Drug Hunter

Name: Drug Hunter
Address: Palo Alto, CA, US
Telephone: +16504587087
Price range: Not Applicable

A trusted, independent source of curated, factual information for the drug discovery community.

09/10/2026

"Drug Hunter is like a well-stocked library and a front-row conference seat rolled into one, offering both historical perspective and cutting-edge updates on drug discovery," say Mark Murcko, a 21-year Vertex veteran and founding CSO of both Relay Therapeutics and Dewpoint Therapeutics.

"The team blends rigorous analysis with a deep appreciation for the craft of making medicines,” he continues.

“This site is a rare place where science, strategy, and storytelling come together to illuminate how great drugs are made.

“It's the kind of resource I wish had existed earlier in my career—and one I now recommend to everyone in the field."

The last line is one we hear a lot. At Drug Hunter, we’re on a mission to help drug discovery teams make better strategic decisions and we’re honored to receive this feedback from leaders in the industry.

Thank you, Mark, for the kind words!

09/09/2026

Warhead Reactivity Cheat Sheet | https://drughunters.com/4gJluyP

Covalency is a well-established mechanism of action that can offer unique opportunities. In the design of such compounds, understanding relative reactivity can serve as a useful tool in mediating binding kinetics, potency, off-target reactivity and compound stability.

Take a look at our covalent warhead reactivity cheat sheet, which catalogs the relative reactivity of several common, and some more recent, functional groups used for targeted covalent inhibition.

Hopefully this cheat sheet will serve as a useful tool in the design and optimization of novel covalent compounds by teams across modalities and disease areas.

09/08/2026

EFMC Medicinal Chemistry 2026 First Time Disclosures | https://drughunters.com/46cv2wi

This year’s EFMC Medicinal Chemistry first time disclosure sessions highlighted eight small molecules spanning targeted protein degradation, neuroinflammation, rare disease, and next-generation approaches to historically challenging targets.

Our Drug Hunter article and accompanying poster cover:

- AZD4248, AstraZeneca's NNMT inhibitor for cardiorenal disease
- nivegacetor, Roche's brain-penetrant γ-secretase modulator for Alzheimer’s disease
- NVP-ITU512, Novartis's CRBN-mediated WIZ molecular glue degrader for sickle cell disease
- UCB6492, UCB's oral small molecule IL-17A inhibitor
- BI 706321, Boehringer Ingelheim’s RIPK2 inhibitor
- RG6182, Roche’s brain-penetrant MAGL inhibitor for progressive MS
- zilurgisertib, Novartis/Incyte/Mirum’s ALK2 inhibitor approaching an FDA decision in FOP
- Clasornoflast (RG6434), Roche’s CNS-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor for neurodegenerative disease

Read the full article for the discovery stories, clinical context, and transferable medicinal chemistry insights—and download the poster for a quick reference to all nine molecules.

https://drughunters.com/46cv2wi

09/06/2026

Next-Gen Utrophin Modulators for DMD: Learning from Clinical Setbacks https://drughunters.com/4ctvLww
Thursday, September 17th, 2026
8 AM PT | 11 AM ET | 5 PM CET

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe X-linked muscle-wasting disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene, for which no curative treatment currently exists. In this Flash Talk, Russell, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the Departments of Chemistry and Pharmacology at the of Oxford, will present the discovery and clinical development of ezutromid, a first-in-class small-molecule utrophin modulator identified through phenotypic screening. She will discuss the early clinical data supporting the program and the findings that ultimately led to its discontinuation. Angela will also highlight mechanistic studies identifying AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) as the molecular target of ezutromid and will highlight next-generation AhR antagonists with improved properties and efficacy as well as screening strategies leading to the identification of utrophin modulators with a distinct mechanism of action. Sign up now to learn more about utrophin modulators acting through AhR antagonism for the treatment of DMD and novel MoAs for utrophin modulation: https://drughunters.com/3SNxZjy

09/04/2026

Drug Hunter is heading to Basel, Switzerland for the EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry, September 6-10.

Our team will be gathering insights for upcoming articles and enjoying great conversations about exciting research.

Want to meet with Drug Hunter? Send us a message through LinkedIn and we'll connect you with our team in Basel for a chat.

09/03/2026

Iberdomide Receives Accelerated FDA Approval for Multiple Myeloma as the First CELMoD | https://drughunters.com/466ZqIf

Iberdomide (Zenbexus®), a CRBN-mediated molecular glue degrader of IKZF1 (Ikaros) and IKZF3 (Aiolos), received accelerated FDA approval for the treatment of multiple myeloma in August 2026, representing the first CELMoD in an new era for the IMiD class of drugs.

The essential role that IKZF1 and IKZF3 play in blood and immune cell development makes their over-activation a central part of plasma cell malignancies—and the degradation of these proteins has been clinically validated therapeutic strategy in multiple myeloma.

Check out our profile on iberdomide’s development to learn:
- The historical context of IKZF degraders in hematological malignancies
- The biological rationale for iberdomide’s development for treatment of lupus and multiple myeloma
- Key clinical results, including the approval-enabling surrogate endpoint

Read more on Drug Hunter: https://drughunters.com/466ZqIf

09/02/2026

Structure's Oral GLP-1 Contender Aleniglipron Gears Up for Ph. 3 | https://drughunters.com/4zN0yhL

Structure Therapeutics’ aleniglipron is a small-molecule GLP-1R agonist designed to bring incretin-like efficacy into a more scalable, oral format.

The molecule is entering a competitive landscape shaped by injectable blockbusters such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, an approved oral formulation of semaglutide, and emerging oral small-molecule contenders including Chugai/Eli Lilly’s orforglipron.

Recent Ph. 2b ACCESS data showed clinically meaningful weight loss, with no apparent plateau at week 36 and continued weight reductions in the open-label extension.

The key question now is whether aleniglipron can differentiate not only on efficacy, but also on tolerability as Structure advances toward Ph. 3.

Read our updated profile on aleniglipron here: https://drughunters.com/4zN0yhL

09/01/2026

Lessons from Recently Approved Oral Small Molecules: Dose Regimens, PK, and Safety
https://drughunters.com/3T7pCzx
Thursday, September 10th, 2026
8 AM PT | 11 AM ET | 5 PM CET

Small molecule drug discovery requires the balance of several factors such as potency, PK, safety, and developability. However, the profiles of clinically successful molecules are often broader than conventional optimization guidelines might suggest.

In this Flash Talk, Dean Brown, Senior Vice President and Head of Discovery Sciences at Jnana Therapeutics, will present an analysis of 104 oral small molecule drugs approved by the FDA between 2020 and 2024, examining approved dose regimens, human PK, safety, and DDI. He will highlight examples of successful drugs with properties that fall outside of traditional expectations and discuss how these can help medicinal chemists better understand the risks and tradeoffs that can be tolerated in the design of future small-molecule medicines.

Sign up now to hear more about the lessons learned from recently approved small molecules: https://drughunters.com/4qNDprr

08/31/2026

Molecules of the Month – July 2026 | https://drughunters.com/4i5wLdQ

Drug Hunter’s July picks spotlight Artios Pharma’s ART6043, an oral, allosteric Polθ inhibitor designed to exploit homologous recombination defects; Eli Lilly’s LY3410738, a covalent, dual mutant IDH1/2 inhibitor built to address acquired resistance mutations; and Roche’s nivegacetor (RG6289), a γ-secretase modulator that lowers pathogenic Aβ42 without broad γ-secretase enzymatic inhibition.

Read the full article to explore the molecules that made our July 2026 list.

Full article: https://drughunters.com/4i5wLdQ

08/29/2026

This month’s Drug Hunter Patent Gazette showcases five cutting-edge drug discovery disclosures:

- Kymera’s first disclosure of its CRBN-mediated IRF5 degraders
- AlzeCure’s gamma-secretase modulators that likely underpin the recent deal with Eli Lilly
- Nxera’s potent BLT2 agonists, which could have applications in inflammation or wound healing
- Gilead’s set of phosphate prodrugs that enhance the bioavailability of their PARP7 inhibitors
- Insilico Medicine’s GR antagonists look to pivot a validated oncology target to pain indications

From insights into potential first-in-class clinical candidates to reevaluating validated targets for new indications, across a broad range of therapeutic areas, these disclosures cover a diverse array of biological pathways and modalities.

Read the July 2026 Patent Gazette on Drug Hunter: https://drughunters.com/3UGp6sI

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