The use of small molecule drugs is essential in the effective management and treatment of infectious diseases. Our firm boasts of a highly skilled workforce coupled with state-of-the-art technology and therefore focuses on the development of small molecules. We take great pride in inventing breakthrough small molecule therapeutics that aim to meet the medical needs in the area of infectious diseases.
What are Small Molecule Drugs?
Low molecular weight compounds with a molecular weight of 0.1 to 1 kilodalton are classified as small molecule drugs. Because of their relatively low mass, small molecules tend to possess benefits in terms of fast absorption, distribution and metabolism within the body. Treatment of infectious diseases with small molecule drugs has completely changed the medical industry by providing a viable method.
Fig. 1 Small-molecule therapeutic options for COVID-19. (Tian D, et al., 2021)
Mechanism of Small Molecule Drugs
Receptor Binding
Small molecule drugs function by targeting certain receptors which are located either within the cell or on the cell membrane, in order to swerve the regular signaling pathway of the receptor to either an activated or an inhibited state.
Enzyme Inhibition
Small molecule drugs show therapeutic effects by attaching to certain enzymes and affecting the biochemical processes that they are involved in.
Ion Channel Modulation
Small molecules drugs can adjust the flow of ions into and out of the channel which assists in leveraging the ionic balance for controlling the direction of the cell membrane potential as well as altering electrical signals.
Interfering with DNA
Some small molecule drugs have the ability to stop or block the replication of DNA, block the transcription processes, or even damage DNA which leads to therapeutic effects.
Small Molecule Drugs for Infectious Diseases
In the past years, the market for small molecule drugs has expanded significantly. The report estimates the value of the market for research and development of small molecule drugs at $82.03 billion in 2023 and forecasts that it will be $163.76 billion by the year 2032, a compound annual growth rate of 7.97%. The development of small molecule medications for the treatment of infectious diseases remains another focus area.
| Small Molecule Drugs |
Targets |
Mechanism |
Indications |
| Oseltamivir |
Influenza virus neuraminidase |
Enzyme Inhibition |
Influenza A and B |
| Penicillin |
Bacterial cell wall synthesis enzymes |
Enzyme Inhibition |
Streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections, syphilis, and certain types of meningitis, etc. |
| Fluconazole |
Fungal cytochrome P450 enzymes |
Enzyme Inhibition |
Candidiasis (yeast infections), cryptococcal meningitis, and certain types of systemic fungal infections |
| Amphotericin B |
Fungal cell membrane ergosterol |
Receptor Binding |
invasive candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, mucormycosis, etc. |
Our Services
Small molecules as therapeutic drugs have proven to be effective in overcoming the challenges posed by infectious agents. Our company has been active in small molecule drug development over a period of time and we remain at the cutting edge of advancing novel approaches to intricate infectious diseases. In a constant manner we have made significant attempts to advance the frontiers of science and apply the results that are achieved to useful drugs.
How Do We Develop Small Molecule Drugs?
Drug Target Identification
Hit Discovery
Lead Optimization
Antipathogen Activity Evaluation
Preclinical Studies
Formulation Development
Optional Disease Types
We are a dynamic team of scientists and researchers focused and poised to discover and synthesize new small molecule drugs that have the potential to treat infectious diseases in an efficient way. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details and quotation information of related services.
References
- Tian D, Liu Y, Liang C, et al. An update review of emerging small-molecule therapeutic options for COVID-19[J]. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 2021, 137: 111313.
- Agarwal P, Huckle J, Newman J, et al. Trends in small molecule drug properties: A developability molecule assessment perspective[J]. Drug Discovery Today, 2022, 27(12): 103366.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
