In January 2024, the Division launched its first Mentorship Program, designed to support advanced PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career researchers transitioning from academia to industry. This program offers personalised guidance from experienced industry mentors, helping participants develop essential technical, organisational, and career management skills. Regular virtual meetings throughout 2024 provided ongoing support and networking opportunities, fostering meaningful connections among mentees and mentors. With 15 senior researchers from industry actively involved, this initiative has been widely praised for its positive impact on both mentors and mentees.

Awards Recognising Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry

The Division of Medicinal Chemistry also annually honours outstanding young researchers through two prestigious awards:

• The Division of Medicinal Chemistry Prize recognises young scientists from academia, CNR, industries, and non-academic research institutions for their significant contributions to Medicinal Chemistry, including published research or patent applications.
• The Best PhD Thesis Award celebrates the exceptional work of recent PhD graduates in all areas of Medicinal Chemistry, from drug design to synthetic, extractive, and biotechnological preparations, as well as analysis, formulation, technology, and quality control of medicines and health products.

Key Events for Young Researchers

• The Merck Young Chemists' Symposium (MYCS), held annually in Rimini each November, is a major event for young chemists, chemical engineers, and material scientists from Italy and Europe. This three-day event offers PhD students, postdocs, research fellows, and thesis students the opportunity to present their research to an international audience. With a strong representation of Medicinal Chemistry within the Società Chimica Italiana, MYCS is a must-attend event for young researchers in the field.
• The Autumn Meeting for Young Chemists in Biomedical Sciences (AMYC-BIOMED) celebrated its 5th edition in 2024, uniting young scientists under 40 engaged in biomedical sciences. This multidisciplinary conference, launched in 2020 at the University of Naples, brings together researchers from diverse fields, including Medicinal Chemistry, to promote collaboration and drive innovation.

Regional Activities Promoting Scientific Collaboration

The Società Chimica Italiana (SCI) is also organised into regional sections, each actively promoting events that foster scientific engagement and collaboration. Notable upcoming regional events include:

• La Chimica sotto l'Albero (Puglia section)
• SCICASI – The joint Calabria-Sicilia conference
• Next Generation Chemists 2024 – La Parola ai Giovani (Sardegna section)

These events reflect the vitality of SCI's regional sections and their commitment to advancing chemistry across Italy.

Upcoming Events in Medicinal Chemistry

The Division of Medicinal Chemistry is organising several exciting events in the coming months:

• National Medicinal Chemistry Meeting (NMMC 2025) – It will be held in Parma, alongside the 16th edition of the Young Medicinal Chemists’ Symposium (NPCF16), covering the latest advancements in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.
• The 44th European School of Medicinal Chemistry (ESMEC 2025) – Organised by the Medicinal Chemistry Division of the Società Chimica Italiana with the support of EFMC, this EFMC Certified School, hosted at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo, is tailored for PhD students and young researchers from academia and industry. The programme includes thematic sessions on hot topics and innovative methodologies in medicinal chemistry.
• The Italian Flow Chemistry Symposium – This two-day event aims to unite Italian scientists working in flow chemistry, with a focus on organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, biotechnology, process engineering, and drug discovery.
• Summer School on Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025 – This edition will focus on "New therapeutic approaches, new analytical challenges: nucleic acid- and cell-based therapies," addressing the analytical challenges related to DNA- and cell-based therapies.
• Workshop "Drug Discovery in Epigenetics" (December, Modena) – A key workshop on drug discovery and epigenetics, featuring a panel of leading experts.

These events provide excellent opportunities for researchers to present innovative work, exchange ideas, and advance the field of medicinal chemistry.

Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to your participation in these exciting initiatives!

The talk describes the identification, optimisation work and preclinical characterisation of a highly selective, first in class positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the muscarinic M2 acetylcholine receptor. The M2 receptor is mainly expressed within the heart and is the key component of the parasympathetic nervous system. Beta-blockers have been used successfully to target the sympathetic nervous system, however there is no drugs targeting the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. Impaired parasympathetic tone has been associated with higher mortality in heart failure, independent of beta-blocker treatment. We describe the ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS)-based discovery of a novel class of naphthyridine carboxamides as M2 PAMs. The extensive optimisation of the screening hit in terms of potency, permeation, metabolic stability and solubility ultimately led to the discovery of the clinical candidate BAY 2413555. The compound shows a very high selectivity towards all other muscarinic receptors and long-lasting pharmacological effects and is suitable for once-daily dosing. This modulator showed no clinically relevant safety findings in a first phase 1 study. With an excellent pharmacokinetic profile, BAY 2413555 could be an ideal treatment option for heart failure patients to increase parasympathetic tone and thus restore autonomic balance.

Register for free here.

#GDCh (MedChem Division), #NextGenMedChem.

As the scientific community pushes the boundaries of drug discovery, certain biological targets remain notoriously difficult to tackle. Whether due to their structural complexity, dynamic nature, or elusive biochemical mechanisms, these challenging targets demand innovative approaches. The DMCCB Basel Symposium 2025 will bring together leading experts to explore cutting-edge strategies for overcoming these hurdles in drug discovery.

Confirmed Speakers and Talks:

• Sascha Hoogendoorn: Target elucidation through target degradation: discovery of BET bromodomains as the target of Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitor-1
• Nicolas Thomä: Transcription Factors in Cancer (and how to get rid of them)
• Stefanie Flohr: Identification and Optimization of Novel GPR126 Positive Allosteric Modulators Targeting a highly lipophilic cavity at the TM/lipid bilayer interface
• Pablo Rivera-Fuentes: Chemigenetic tools for imaging and sensing
• Joseph Rogers: De novo biopharmaceuticals for challenging targets
• Zuzanna Kozicka: Molecular glue degraders of cyclin K
• Lukas Schneider: BODIPY-Based Photothermal Agents for Cancer Treatment

This event is designed to engage professionals and students alike, offering a platform for fruitful discussions and collaboration. Don’t miss this unique chance to be part of the conversation shaping the future of drug discovery and challenging target therapeutics.

One poster submission will be selected for an oral presentation at the Symposium!

BMCS 2nd Conformational Design in Drug Discovery 2025
March 3, 2025, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
Registration and abstract submission now open!
Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/conformationaldesign25/
Synopsis: Conformational Design plays a key role in the medicinal chemistry of small molecule drug candidates. The emergence of generative AI models to assist molecular design and free-energy-perturbation techniques critically depend on accurate prediction of 3D ligand conformations. Here we bring together cutting-edge computational methods with experimental free ligand NMR solution conformations and protein-ligand X-ray and CryoEM structures to craft the medicines of tomorrow. We will discuss ligand rigidification and physicochemical optimisation strategies for protein-protein interaction inhibitors, PROTACs, molecular glues, antibody-drug-conjugate payloads and other new modalities. This RSC-BMCS event aims at building a community that shares conformational design strategies, technologies, and successful case studies. It will complement other rational drug design events and promote more successful research into future medicines.

9^th RSC-BMCS Symposium on Mastering Medicinal Chemistry

March 14, 2025, Burlington House, London, UK

Registration now open!

Website: 9th Mastering Med Chem - RSC BMCS

Synopsis: Mastering Medicinal Chemistry IX is the latest in an ongoing series of conferences intended to provide expert advice and guidance to new practitioners in the field of drug discovery. It has been said that “there are two types of drug discovery programmes: those that hit serious problems and those that are going to hit serious problems”. Anticipating and preparing for such problems thus accelerates the delivery of new medicines: this event will feature presentations from experienced ‘drug-hunters’ in both industry and academia, who will talk about the challenges faced in modern drug discovery, and will share best practice common to all successful medicinal chemists.

8th RSC-BMCS / SCI Symposium on Ion Channels as Therapeutic Targets
March 31 – April 1, 2025, Hinxton Hall Conference Centre, Cambridge, UK
Registration and abstract submissions now open! Poster Abstract deadline: Friday, December 20^th!!
Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/ionchannels25/
Synopsis: Ion channels are important targets for therapeutic intervention due to their extensive roles in human physiology and the pathophysiology of disease. Many successful drugs targeting this gene family have been discovered for diseases such as hypertension, epilepsy, and neuropathic pain. This symposium, the 8^th in an ongoing series, will showcase the most recent advances to aid the design of new ion channel therapeutics and promote interaction between scientists with a shared interest in the field of ion channel drug discovery.

36th BMCS Spring Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry
April 24, 2025, Fielder Centre, Hatfield, UK
Registration now open!
Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/hatfield25/
Synopsis: Colloquially known as the “Hatfield MedChem” meeting, this highly successful, long-standing, one-day meeting is held annually. The scientific programme will include presentations showcasing medicinal chemistry case studies, from tools to candidates, across a range of modalities, therapeutic areas and target classes. It will also cover more general topics at the forefront of drug discovery. The meeting aims to be informal and interactive and is ideal for anyone working in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery more widely.

11th RSC/SCI Symposium on Kinase Inhibitor Design
May 12 – 13, 2025, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Registration and abstract submissions now open!
Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/kinase2025/
Synopsis: With more than 100 clinically approved small molecules, the field of kinase modulation continues to attract significant investment from the drug discovery community and attention from academia. The 11th RCS-BMCS/SCI symposium on kinase inhibitor design will encompass plenary lectures on emerging topics and case studies of ongoing programmes as well as successful past programmes. A range of topics, including brain penetrant and inhaled kinase inhibitors, kinase chemical probes, allosteric modulators, targeted kinase protein degradation and kinase inhibition for non-oncology indications will be covered, along with views and perspectives on the future of kinase modulator research.

BMCS 5th Synthesis in Drug Discovery and Development
June 3 – 4, 2025, Virtual
Abstract submission and registration now open!
Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/sddd25/
Synopsis: Synthesis is at the heart of drug discovery and development. The industry has increasingly demanded higher quality clinical candidates and has sought to exploit less druggable biological targets. Densely functionalised small molecules with a high degree of synthetic complexity are often the result of these demands. Successful programmes therefore require the application of innovative synthesis in all stages of discovery and development. The medicinal chemist’s toolbox is also enhanced by the introduction of novel bioisosteres, often made available only through the application of new synthetic methods. This symposium aims to celebrate the crucial role of synthesis in the success of drug discovery and development.

4th RSC Anglo-Nordic Medicinal Chemistry Symposium
June 10 – 13, 2025, Hotel Comwell Borupgaard, Snekkersten, Denmark
Registration and abstract submissions now open!
Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/anmc-4/
Synopsis: This 2.5 day symposium is the fourth in the very successful series of biannual meetings started in 2017 containing high quality international speakers from industry and academia on topics of Medicinal Chemistry and related enabling technologies. Organised by the Biological and Medicinal Chemistry Sector of the Royal Society of Chemistry, together with Nordic affiliates, the meeting promises to be an exciting and invigorating gathering packed with fantastic opportunities to disseminate knowledge and expand networks.

RSC-BMCS / SCI 23rd Medicinal Chemistry Symposium
September 14 – 17, 2025, Churchill College, Cambridge, UK

Registration opening soon!
Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/cammedchem25/
Synopsis: The organisers invite you to the 23rd SCI-RSC Medicinal Chemistry symposium, Europe’s premier biennial Medicinal Chemistry event, focusing on first disclosures and new strategies in Medicinal Chemistry.

8th RSC-CICAG / RSC-BMCS Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry
September 22 –  24, 2025, Churchill College, Cambridge, UK
A date for your diary!
Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/aichem8 /  
Synopsis: Artificial Intelligence is experiencing a renaissance in the development of new methods and practical applications to ongoing challenges in Chemistry. Following the successes of six annual “Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry” meetings starting in 2018, we are pleased to announce that the Chemical Information & Computer Applications Group (CICAG) and Biological & Medicinal Chemistry Sector (BMCS) of the Royal Society of Chemistry are once again organising a conference to present the current advances in AI and machine learning in Chemistry. The meeting will be held over two and half days and combine aspects of artificial intelligence and deep machine learning methods to applications in chemistry.  The programme will include a mixture of keynote talks, panel discussion, oral presentations, flash presentations, posters and opportunities for open debate, networking, and discussion. This year meeting will follow 2024 with two and half days and will include workshop on first day, please keep checking website for updates.