The Medicinal Chemistry Section plays a central role in the development of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer, and strives to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical application. Medicinal Chemistry is an interdisciplinary discipline that combines the principles of chemistry, biology, and pharmacology to design, synthesise and optimise small molecules with the potential to impact cancer treatment.

Collaboration is a hallmark of our approach at the Medicinal Chemistry Section and of the Experimental Therapeutics Programme to which it belongs. The team collaborates with other CNIO research groups to validate their target hypotheses with small molecules, or to generate potential drugs with validated, in vivo proofs of concept. The Section also collaborates with external institutions and pharmaceutical companies to translate scientific discoveries into potential clinical applications. Indeed, several projects have been licensed to biotech or pharmaceutical companies.