Getting that hit: 3D database searching in drug discovery

At each stage in the drug discovery process, 3D database searching can play a significant role - from finding a lead compound to searching for alternative backup structures. Medicinal chemists have many tools in their armoury for assisting in the early stages of a new project, and 3D database searching is now an essential part of the drug discovery process; To meet the challenges of the next millennium in the pharmaceutical industry, the time taken to find leads to begin research into new therapeutic areas must be as short as possible. 3D database searching offers one way of getting that hit.