21st Annual Drug Discovery Chemistry 2026

Meet Novalix at Drug Discovery Chemistry 2026, a conference dedicated to medicinal and biophysical chemists working in pharma, biotech, and academia.
Organized by Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI), this 21st annual edition will focus on discovery and optimization challenges of small molecule drug candidates.

Novalix will contribute to the scientific program with two poster presentations.

Poster: Macrocycles as Novel PI4KIIIb Inhibitors to Tackle Human Rhinoviruses Infections

Laurent Saniere, PhD, SVP Drug Discovery, will present the design of new macrocyclic PI4KB inhibitors derived from a pyrazolo[1,5‑a]pyrimidine scaffold, highlighting the key structural features driving antiviral potency against Human Rhinovirus (HRV), and the synthetic strategies used to optimize these compounds.

Abstract: HRV manipulates PI4P by hijacking the activity of Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases IIIβ (PI4KB) to mediate their replication. Therefore, PI4KB inhibition has emerged as an efficient strategy to fight HRV, culminating with several compounds in clinical trials. [More to come soon]

Don’t miss the presentation of this poster No. P076!

Poster: Comprehensive Biophysical Characterization of PROTAC Molecules Using Orthogonal Techniques

Laurent Saniere, PhD, SVP Drug Discovery, will also explain interactions between PROTACs, BRD4 constructs, and Cerebron (CRBN), characterized using SPR, with SPR#64 enabling the simultaneous screening of four protein constructs against eight different PROTACs.

Abstract: Using Novalix DNA-encoded library, we identified binders of BRD4. Subsequently, PROTAC molecules were designed to target E3 ubiquitin ligase.
[…] Ternary complex formation was qualitatively assessed via size-exclusion chromatography coupled with native mass spectrometry (SEC-UV-MS) and kinetically characterized using switchSENSE and the recently developed proximity assay.

Don’t miss these poster presentations!

More on Drug Discovery Chemistry 2026

Both in-person and online, the event offers plenary keynote sessions and a plenary panel discussion featuring insights from venture capitalists. Some of the topics will include:

• Degraders and molecular glues: beyond oncology
• Covalent and induced proximity-based therapies
• Generative AI and predictive modeling
• Drug discovery in women’s health
• RNA-modulating small molecule drugs
• Fragment-based drug discovery
• AI/ML for early drug discovery
• GLP1 and oral peptides
• Protein-protein interactions
• DNA-Encoded Libraries

Meet us at our booth No. 209

If you are also attending, visit our expert team at our booth No. 209! Set a meeting and catch up: