The 13^th Swiss Course on Medicinal Chemistry addresses most up-to-date topics of current pharmaceutical research in different areas, such as:

• New Chemical Space utilized for Medicinal Chemistry Applications
• Medicinal Chemistry Approaches towards prominent Target Families
• Technologies and Tactics applied in Lead Finding and Optimization
• Case Stories of successful small-molecule drug discovery
  
  

The organizers are proud to announce that a considerable number of renowned experts in their respective research field will contribute to this Medicinal Chemistry Academy. Attendees will get authentic insights into emerging areas of small-molecule drug discovery, presented by inspiring world-class opinion leaders, some of which are mentioned below.

• Dr. Karin Briner, Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Chemistry at the Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research (NIBR) will give the introductory lecture positioning small molecule drug discovery, i.e. the playground of practicing medicinal chemists, in today’s and tomorrow’s spectrum of therapeutic modalities.
  
  
• As a world-class expert in Medicinal Chemistry, Dr. Nicholas A. Meanwell, Executive Director at Bristol-Myers Squibb, will provide a detailed report on truly successful drug discovery campaign pursued at BMS that yielded in an innovative breakthrough medicine. In addition to reporting on that success story, he will actively teach on the tactical application of bio-isosteric concepts in Lead Finding and Optimization during hands-on tutorials, all attendees will participate in.
  
  
• Dr. Peter Grootenhuis, Senior Director at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, will present a compelling story centred around the long and windy discovery route of a life-changing therapy, namely the Cystis Fibrosis drug Orkambi, consisting of ivacaftor and lumacaftor. This will be a breath-taking medicinal chemistry success story touching upon numerous interdisciplinary aspects such as phenotypic screening and personalized medicine.
  
  
• The detailed aspects of thermodynamics and kinetics involved in the process of molecular recognition will be highlighted by a world-leading specialist in the field of biophysical, crystallographic and computational investigations of drug-target interactions, i.e. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Klebe, Univeristy of Marburg. He will highlight widely under-appreciated optimization parameters the medicinal chemistry community needs to get better acquainted with in the near future. This is a Must-Hear Topic for all practitioners in our scientific research field.
  
  
• The strategic combination of high-resolution crystallography and Fragment-Based Lead Generation applied to one of the most challenging target families, i.e. G Protein-Coupled Receptors, will be introduced by a pioneer in the field, notably Dr. Jonathan Mason, Drug Design and Computational Chemistry Expert at Heptares Therapeutics. He is well known for burning off a firework of structure-based design teachings most relevant for our young colleagues in medicinal chemistry.
  
  
• Dr. Andy Phillips, Chief Executive Officer and President at C4 Therapeutics will introduce the concept of Targeted Protein Degradation in which synthetic conjugates of linked protein ligands are utilized to harness the innate power of the human organism to eliminate disease-causing proteins. This breakthrough technology offers a number of advantages for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, while avoiding traditional drug resistance.