The optimization of low-potency leads into drugs is often accompanied by an increase in molecular weight (M(r)) and lipophilicity, as a consequence of affinity enhancement. Hits with affinity at µM levels discovered by screening leadlike libraries allow scope for this optimization process, as shown schematically by the distributions of M(r) for a leadlike library (1), oral drugs (2), and a typical combinatorial chemistry library (3). y=percentage with a particular molecular weight.
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Teague et al. (1999) studied this question.