Abbreviation: Eur. J. Med. Chem. Publisher: Elsevier (on behalf of the Société de Chimie Thérapeutique) Focus: Medicinal chemistry, drug design, pharmacology Impact Factor (2024): ≈ 7.0 ISSN: 0223-5234 (print) / 1768-3254 (online) Access: Hybrid (open access + subscription)

The journal covers a broad range of topics in medicinal chemistry, including:

• Small molecule synthesis
• Structure–activity relationships (SAR)
• Prodrug design
• Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
• Occasionally, preclinical pharmacology

Strength: Comprehensive platform for chemical innovation with therapeutic aims. Weakness: Often disconnected from translational or clinical impact. Many articles never progress beyond rodent models or cell lines.

“Hypothesis validation” is often confused with “hypothesis decoration.”

• Good source of first-generation drug candidates, especially prodrugs, enzyme inhibitors, or hypoxia-targeted agents.
• May offer novel molecular scaffolds applicable in neuro-oncology or neuromodulation.

• No clinical trials — not designed for translational medicine.
• Heavy emphasis on chemical novelty over biological significance.
• Often lacks:
  1. Biodistribution data
  2. Blood–brain barrier studies
  3. Disease-specific models (e.g., glioblastoma, spinal cord tumors)

“A journal more interested in the molecule than in the patient.”

European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry is where promising molecules are born — and too often, where they also die.
Excellent for spotting chemical innovation, but limited use for clinicians unless preclinical findings are confirmed elsewhere.