Derek Lowe
An Arkansan by birth, Derek got his BA from Hendrix College and his PhD in organic chemistry from Duke before spending time in Germany on a Humboldt Fellowship on his post-doc. He’s worked for several major pharmaceutical companies since 1989 on drug discovery projects against schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, osteoporosis and other diseases.
Derek writes the popular blog In the pipeline on drug discovery and the pharma industry.
OpinionUnpicking a clinical trial death
A new study shows up off-target effects of a drug that proved deadly, and highlights the pitfalls of drug discovery
OpinionHow safe should drugs be?
What does spotting new risks in approved medicines say about how effective regulators are?
OpinionAlternate chemical realities
What would chemistry look like if key discoveries had happened differently?
OpinionHow does being a chemist change your view on the world?
Scientific knowledge and analysis shape our view, but can also be selectively ignored
OpinionOutlines of ignorance
There’s a lot about chemistry that we just don’t understand very well yet
OpinionDrug regulation is a burden worth bearing
Calls to break down regulatory barriers show a misunderstanding of the industry
OpinionEmerging from Babel
Will English ever lose its place as the lingua franca of chemistry, asks Derek Lowe
OpinionPride comes before a fall
In labs it’s important not to let familiarity breed complacency, says Derek Lowe
OpinionDrugs don’t grow on trees
The trope of companies profiteering from academic discoveries doesn’t bear much scrutiny, says Derek Lowe
OpinionThrowing things over the fence
Saying ‘That’s someone else’s problem’ is asking for trouble, says Derek Lowe
OpinionNow you’re talking my language
Chemistry would be impossible without a hidden fluency that many of us don’t even realise we have, says Derek Lowe
OpinionLet's see that again
Has chemistry evaded the reproducibility crises affecting other branches of science? Or is it just a question of scale, asks Derek Lowe
OpinionDon’t fear the Crispr
Does simple gene-editing mean the end of traditional medicinal chemistry? Probably not
OpinionSlimmer synthesis
Atom economy is a noble aim, but there are other routes to efficient molecule making
OpinionPutting chemistry back in biology
The chemical nature of biomolecular interactions can no longer be ignored
CareersThe trials and tribulations of drug discovery
The many pitfalls medicinal chemists face when creating a new drug
