Tailored Multi-Target Agents: Applications and Design Considerations

Abstract

In contrast to the one target-one drug model, multi-target agents seem as a promising alternative to manage complex disorders and health conditions linked to drug resistance issues. In fact, many longstanding drugs are in fact unintended multi-functional therapeutics that have emerged from phenotypic models. The last two decades, however, have witnessed the emergence of tailored multi-target agents, which according to our perspective combine the best aspects of target-based and phenotypic-based drug discovery. Here we discuss a number of considerations related to the design, screening and computer-aided discovery of multi-targeted drugs, along with neglected advantages that this type of agents might have in clinical trials.