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The European Federation for Medicinal chemistry and Chemical biology (EFMC) is an independent association founded in December 1969 that represents 30 scientific organisations from 26 European countries, and more than 9000 scientists. Its objective is to advance the science of medicinal chemistry & chemical biology by promoting cooperation and encouraging strong links between the national adhering organisations in order to deepen contacts and exchanges between medicinal chemists & chemical biologists in Europe and around the World. EFMC fulfils this objective by organising symposia and short courses, by sponsoring meetings and schools, by publishing on relevant topics and by conferring awards and prizes.
Its most important organisation is the biennial International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC-ISMC). These symposia, with an average attendance of 1,200 delegates, are highly international with a broad range of speakers and attendees from the pharmaceutical industry and academia. Next to the EFMC-ISMC, EFMC is involved in the organisation of the EFMC|ACSMEDI Medicinal Chemistry Frontiers and the International Symposium on Advances in Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC-ASMC). EFMC also organises intensive short courses on specific topics in medicinal chemistry. The Young Medicinal Chemists’ Symposium (EFMC-YMCS) on its side, has become an annual concentration of young talents. Most recently, EFMC took over the organisation of the International Symposium on Chemical Biology (EFMC-ISCB) from NCCR Chemical Biology, with the aim to continue its tradition of high scientific quality and bring together leading scientists to showcase the latest advances in the field of chemical biology
An important part of the EFMC activities is sponsorship of national scientific meetings and medicinal chemistry/chemical biology schools. EFMC also awards travel grants for younger scientists to attend EFMC symposia and schools.
EFMC also acknowledges the excellence of medicinal chemists’ work, by conferring four major awards: the Nauta Pharmacochemistry Award for Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology, the UCB-Ehrlich Award for Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry, the EFMC-WuXi AppTec Award for Excellence in Chemical Biology and the Prous Institute-Overton and Meyer Award for New Technologies in Drug Discovery, which are given every two years for outstanding achievements in the field. From 2010 on, EFMC established two new prizes to acknowledge the scientific accomplishments of young medicinal chemists, both in industry and academia.
