How one carbon atom is changing drug development
Posted: 12 June 2025 | Drug Target Review | No comments yet
Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have found a way to improve drugs by adding just one carbon atom. This simple change could speed up drug discovery and lower costs.
A team of researchers at the University of Oklahoma (OU) have introduced a new way to improve drug molecules by inserting a single carbon atom. The method is simple, safe and works at room temperature. It allows chemists to change a drug’s structure without damaging sensitive parts of the molecule.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could make drug discovery faster and cheaper. The project was led by Professor Indrajeet Sharma, whose team focused on nitrogen heterocycles – ring-shaped structures commonly found in many modern medicines.
The team developed a fast-reacting compound called sulfenylcarbene, which adds a single carbon atom to existing drug molecules. This process, known as skeletal editing, helps transform known molecules into new drug candidates.
“By selectively adding one carbon atom to these existing drug heterocycles in the later stages of development, we can change the molecule’s biological and pharmacological properties without changing its functionalities,” said Sharma. “This could open uncharted regions of chemical space in drug discovery.”
New chemistry for safer drug development
Older methods for adding carbon atoms relied on dangerous chemicals and metal-based reagents that could be explosive or toxic. Additionally, these approaches were often incompatible with many types of drug molecules.
Sharma’s approach overcomes these challenges by using a bench-stable reagent that works without metals. The reaction takes place under mild, water-friendly conditions at room temperature and delivers high yields of up to 98 percent.
Adding a carbon atom in the late stages of development can make new drugs cheaper. It’s like renovating a building rather than building it from scratch.
This new method could also benefit DNA-encoded library (DEL) technology, a fast-growing tool in drug discovery. DEL allows researchers to screen billions of molecules for potential activity against disease targets, but many chemical reactions are incompatible with DNA-tagged compounds.
Sharma’s method does. It avoids high heat or harsh chemicals, which can damage DNA. That makes it a strong candidate for DEL workflows. The team is now working with researchers at Baylor College of Medicine to apply it in DEL studies.
“The cost of many drugs depends on the number of steps involved in making them, and drug companies are interested in finding ways to reduce these steps. Adding a carbon atom in the late stages of development can make new drugs cheaper. It’s like renovating a building rather than building it from scratch,” Sharma explained.
“By making these drugs easier to produce at large scale, we could reduce the cost of healthcare for populations around the world.”
The full study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Related topics
DNA, Drug Discovery, Drug Discovery Processes, Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Targets, Research & Development, Screening, Small molecule, Target Validation, Translational Science
Related organisations
University of Oklahoma
Related people
Professor Indrajeet Sharma (University of Oklahoma)
