Utilization of NMR-derived fragment leads in drug design.

The advent of large-scale NMR-based screening has enabled new strategies for the design of novel, potent inhibitors of therapeutic targets. In particular, fragment-based strategies, in which molecular portions of the final high-affinity ligand are experimentally identified prior to chemical synthesis, have found widespread utility. This chapter will discuss some of the practical considerations for identifying and utilizing these fragment leads in drug design, with special emphasis on some of the lessons learned from more than a decade of industry experience.