2026 ACS Fall | 13 Molecules, 13 Drug Development Strategies for Regulating Biological Systems

The inaugural public disclosure session of the 2026 ACS Fall Meeting offers another comprehensive overview of the future direction of small-molecule drug development. This session features a total of 13 candidate drugs currently in preclinical or clinical development, spanning oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and rare diseases—each with diverse targets and mechanisms of action. Detailed information is provided below. 13 Candidate Drugs QTX3034 (CAS: 2972625-49-1) — A spirocyclic allosteric KRAS inhibitor for KRAS-driven tumors, specifically targeting the G12D mutation by locking KRAS in its inactive GDP-bound conformation. IC50 against Kras(G12D) ≤ 100 nM. AZD3632 (CAS No.: 3058433-50-1) — A Menin–KMT2A protein–protein interaction (PPI) inhibitor for acute leukemia. An orally active MLL1 inhibitor with IC50 = 0.043 μM. AZD3632 induces Menin protein degradation and inhibits leukemic cell proliferation. It achieves tumor regression in leukemia mouse models and is applicable for MLL1-related leukemia research. Strategically introduced methyl groups enhance atropisomer stability and selectivity; the ketone moiety serves as a critical structural element for target binding. NVP-KFA115 — A CRBN-dependent molecular glue for solid tumors, mediating degradation of IKZF2/Helios and IKZF4/Eos proteins. SGR-3515 (CAS No.: 3038330-83-2) — A dual WEE1/MYT1 inhibitor for solid tumors; an orally active serine/threonine kinase (Ser/Thr Kinase) inhibitor. Surbinsertib is applicable for cancer research. GFH647 (CAS No.: 2765854-31-5) — A non-covalent BTK inhibitor for B-cell malignancies, effective against both wild-type and C481S-mutant BTK. VENT-03 (iptocigistat, CAS No.: 3047739-67-0) — A cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) inhibitor. Iptocigistat suppresses excessive immune responses and is applicable for research on inflammation-associated autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It inhibits the cGAS–STING signaling pathway and downregulates downstream type I interferon responses. PF-07905428 — A topical acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) inhibitor for acne, designed to locally suppress sebaceous gland lipid production. DA-003 — A highly selective MRGPRX2 antagonist for mast cell–related disorders. It blocks IgE-independent mast cell activation and degranulation while preserving normal IgE-mediated activation pathways.

People’s Daily Exclusive Interview | Professor Jiang Cheng of China Pharmaceutical University Explains the “Left” and “Right” in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

What do the extra ‘left’ and ‘right’ in drug names actually mean? On October 7, the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to French scientist Henri Kagan and Japanese scientist Norio Miyamoto for their discovery of ‘chiral molecules’—a breakthrough that answers this very question. Recently, a reporter from the People’s Daily Health Client conducted an exclusive interview with Professor Jiang Cheng, Deputy Dean of the School of Pharmacy at China Pharmaceutical University. Here’s what we learned: Why, among antibiotics treating bacterial infections, do we have ofloxacin—and also levofloxacin? Among antiallergic drugs, there is cetirizine—and also levocetirizine; among insomnia medications, there is zopiclone—and also eszopiclone (the R-enantiomer). What, then, do these added ‘left’ and ‘right’ designations signify? The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded on October 7 to French scientist Henri Kagan and Japanese scientist Norio Miyamoto for their work on ‘chiral molecules’, provides the answer. Professor Jiang Cheng of the School of Pharmacy at China Pharmaceutical University explains that chirality can be simply understood as a molecule’s ‘left’ and ‘right’ hands. Just like human hands—which are mirror images yet cannot be superimposed—some drug molecules share identical chemical compositions but differ in three-dimensional spatial arrangement, resulting in distinct properties. Does this difference affect pharmacological activity? Professor Jiang uses the common antibiotic ofloxacin as an example: Ofloxacin consists of two mirror-image molecules (enantiomers), whereas levofloxacin is the enantiomer exhibiting stronger antibacterial activity. Although chemically identical, the two enantiomers differ significantly in antibacterial potency and other properties. That is why adding just the word ‘left’ to a drug name signifies an entirely different pharmaceutical entity. This occurs because many biological targets—such as proteins—possess specific three-dimensional structures; thus, enantiomers interact differently with them, much like how left and right hands fit differently into the same glove. Similar cases abound. For instance, both cetirizine and levocetirizine alleviate allergic symptoms; however, cetirizine contains a racemic mixture of two enantiomers, while levocetirizine isolates the single enantiomer with superior antiallergic activity. Zopiclone and eszopiclone are both used to treat insomnia. Eszopiclone—the R-enantiomer—exhibits sedative-hypnotic effects, whereas the S-enantiomer is pharmacologically inactive. Thus, eszopiclone represents a purified, more potent single-enantiomer version extracted from the racemic zopiclone.

Meet the Molecules of the Year 2026

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C&EN editors highlighted notable molecules of 2026, including the creation of a stable 80-atom boron sphere. This breakthrough could enable future applications in semiconductors and hydrogen storage if bulk synthesis methods are developed.

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