Ligand potency – an essential estimator for drug design: between intuition, misinterpretation and serendipity

Abstract

This is a review of developments in the field of potency, which is an essential estimator for drug design. We discuss the basic concepts of research and discovery, focusing on how misinterpretation in this area, – but also intuition and serendipity, which are common in drug design – helped us to pave a bumpy road towards better drugs. How far we still are from this goal can be seen in the Eroom law, which states that the efficiency of pharma research and development is decreasing. At the same time, pharma bestsellers are getting older.