Current research ‘has barely scratched surface of all undiscovered drugs’

A new study has revealed that current pharmaceutical research has discovered barely a fraction of the total number of medicines that could theoretically be synthesised.

Researchers Jean-Louis Reymond and Mahendra Awale have formed this conclusion after analysing the "chemical space" inhabited by all of the small molecules that could possibly exist according to the laws of physics and chemistry.

It suggested the total number of possible small molecules could be one novemdecillion – or one million billion billion billion billion billion billion – meaning scientists have only discovered around 0.1 percent of all potential medicines.

The researchers' techniques for computer modelling of chemical interactions could also prove useful in finding new pharmaceuticals, particularly those targeting the central nervous system.

"Small molecule drugs are essential to the success of modern medicine," said the authors of the report.

The need to develop new therapies has become particularly important given the growing problems caused by drug-resistant disease, an issue that has been flagged up by the World Health Organization and Center for Global Development in recent years.