title: Putting chirality to work: the strategy of chiral switches.
abstract: Most of the new drugs reaching the market today are single enantiomers, rather than the racemic mixtures that dominated up to ten years ago. Many of the new single-enantiomer drugs were developed as such, but there are also important examples of new single-enantiomer drugs derived from 'chiral switches' of established racemates. Indeed, a well-timed chiral switch can offer enhanced therapy and further profitability as a 'line extension' of a major racemic drug with patents that are expiring.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*