Core C – Medicinal Chemistry and DMPK ABSTRACT The discovery of possible drug candidates requires effective collaboration of diverse teams of skilled scientists. Medicinal chemists fulfill a core problem solving role, generally leading efforts to overcome the myriad of obstacles sure to be encountered in any drug discovery campaign. A great many of these hurdles typically involve overcoming deficiencies in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) properties. Core C of the Midwest AViDD Center centralizes medicinal chemistry and DMPK support functions, with a key role for computational chemistry in impacting hit-to-lead efforts. Core C is comprised of top researchers in their fields, located at 8 different research sites: Scripps-FL, U. Minnesota, Georgia State U, U. Illinois-Chicago, U. Mississippi, N.Y. Blood Center, U.C San Diego, and U.C. Berkeley. The effort seeks not to merely validate new targets and discover “probes” that are ill-suited for development but is focused on the delivery of agents with high translational potential. This philosophy derives in part from the extensive industrial experience of many key personnel in the core. Objectives include the identification and triage of validated hit series, their optimization to validated leads, and finally to the delivery of tractable orally bioavailable drug development candidates in multiple target areas for viruses with high pandemic potential.