Importance of Silicon Atom in the Drug Design Process

The pharmaceutical industry has an ongoing need for new, safe medicines with genuine biomedical effects. Most of the candidate molecules are far from becomes a drug, because of their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. The introduction of bioisostere to improve properties of molecules and to obtain new class of compound is currently increased. Silicon substitution of carbon of existing drugs is an attractive strategy to search a new candidate with improved biological and physicochemical properties. The fundamental differences between carbon and silicon can lead to improved profile of the silicon containing candidate, and could be exploited to get further benefit in drug design process.