Introduction

Abstract

Once management has made that brave decision to embark on a programme aimed at discovering a new antifungal agent, how does the research scientist actually set about the process of drug discovery? Past experience suggests that the empirical approach has much to recommend it; lurking in some vast chemical collection somewhere or being constantly produced by some strange microorganism in some far corner of the world are surely new antifungal agents just waiting to be recognised. But how can we identify them? It is a continuing source of irritation and challenge to the modern scientist that the rational approach to chemotherapy has not been more successful. Perhaps next year? Tom Boyle has collaborated with me for a number of years in our search at ICI for a new antifungal agent. He opens the volume with a chapter which tries to explain to the non-chemists among us how the chemical mind operates as he hovers over his retort planning what to brew up next. His thinking may be directed by analogy with known active structures or by fashionable biochemical pathways, but beyond this the medicinal chemist needs a vision and a feel for the target.