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.
OpinionA chemist in the flower garden
The beautifully complex molecules plants produce are as inspiring as the blooms themselves
OpinionBeing wrong is almost inevitable
On the tightrope of expressing your opinion, you always risk looking a fool
OpinionMedicinal chemistry’s biological blind spots
Despite advances in modern medicine, there are some big gaps in our knowledge
OpinionThe US abortion drugs regulation challenge has stalled, but it will return
Having failed in the US Supreme Court, anti-abortion activists are trying other ways to prevent access to mifepristone
OpinionWill science ever reach an end?
While the rate of discoveries in any field may slow over time, the frontier creeps ever further
OpinionLab automation gives me more time at the top of the mountain
Getting back to the bench reminds Derek Lowe how much has changed in 40 years
OpinionWater isn’t normal
Despite its familiarity, water is a chemical oddity. But that’s what makes it fascinating
OpinionFrom one sinking ship to another?
Biogen abandoning Alzheimer’s antibody aducanumab is unusual, but hardly surprising, says Derek Lowe
OpinionHarnessing fear and greed for innovation
Many powerful emotions motivate us in the search for new knowledge
OpinionSaving the sounds of Superstition
Preserving the look, feel and sound of degrading plastic artefacts presents particular problems
OpinionCompounding problems
Regulating the line between a vital service and grey-market profiteering is a mess
OpinionSlow march of the retrosynthesis robots
Software synthesis suggestions are hampered by biased and incomplete datasets
OpinionSurviving in the war of all against all
Cancers and bacteria develop resistance to drugs in remarkably similar ways
OpinionNavigating the literature torrent
It’s humanly impossible to filter and read everything worthwhile – let’s embrace assistance
OpinionBringing drug manufacturing back home
Pharmaceutical supply chains are international, complex and opaque. Is there a better way?
OpinionRegulators must follow their heads, not their hearts
The 2019 US approval of antibiotic Recarbrio seems not to have met the normally expected standards
OpinionWill a court overturn abortion drug’s approval?
Tangle between regulation and politics makes uncomfortable viewing from industry
OpinionMeeting the tigers of the lab
Practical teaching strikes a balance between removing hazards and learning to respect them
OpinionTurning negative results into positives
Publishing unsuccessful experiments is more important than ever as we try to train machines in chemistry