The IMS Library: from IN‐Stock to Virtual

• Published in: ChemMedChem 2024-10, Vol.19 (20), p.e202400381-n/a
• Main Authors: Djikic‐Stojsic, Teodora, Bret, Guillaume, Blond, Gaëlle, Girard, Nicolas, Le Guen, Clothilde, Marsol, Claire, Schmitt, Martine, Schneider, Séverine, Bihel, Frederic, Bonnet, Dominique, Gulea, Mihaela, Kellenberger, Esther
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accessibility; Chemical compounds; Chemical Sciences; Chemical synthesis; Chemists; Design factors; Drug development; Functional groups; Research projects
• ISSN: 1860-7179; 1860-7187; 1860-7187
• DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202400381

A chemical library is a key element in the early stages of pharmaceutical research. Its design encompasses various factors, such as diversity, size, ease of synthesis, aimed at increasing the likelihood of success in drug discovery. This article explores the collaborative efforts of computational and synthetic chemists in tailoring chemical libraries for cost‐effective and resource‐efficient use, particularly in the context of academic research projects. It proposes chemoinformatics methodologies that address two pivotal questions: first, crafting a diverse panel of under 1000 compounds from an existing pool through synthetic efforts, leveraging the expertise of organic chemists; and second, expanding pharmacophoric diversity within this panel by creating a highly accessible virtual chemical library. Chemoinformatics tools were developed to analyse initial panel of about 10,000 compounds into two tailored libraries: eIMS and vIMS. The eIMS Library comprises 578 diverse in‐stock compounds ready for screening. Its virtual counterpart, vIMS, features novel compounds guided by chemists, ensuring synthetic accessibility. vIMS offers a broader array of binding motifs and improved drug‐like characteristics achieved through the addition of diverse functional groups to eIMS scaffolds followed by filtering of reactive or unusual structures. The uniqueness of vIMS is emphasized through a comparison with commercial suppliers′ virtual chemical space. A chemical library screening is crucial for early pharmaceutical development, focusing on diversity, drug‐likeliness, and synthetic accessibility. This article highlights the collaboration of computational and synthetic chemists in creating cost‐effective chemical libraries suitable for academic projects. It utilizes chemoinformatics methods to diversify molecules. The eIMS library includes 578 in‐stock compounds, while the virtual vIMS library offers over 800,000 compounds with superior drug‐like properties and broader binding motifs.