On Thursday 23rd April 2026, Medicinal Chemistry adviser of Cellestial Health, Lewis Pennicott, attended and contributed to the discussion at the 37th BMCS Spring Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry, the heart of the med chem community. He reports:
Fantastic day at the Fielder Centre for the #HatfieldMedChem symposium. Staying at the forefront of these technical advancements is a core focus for us at Cellestial Health.
The program offered some incredible insights into current discovery challenges:
✦ Henrik Möbitz (Novartis): Challenged traditional thinking with “Nonclassical Zwitterions,” demonstrating how to reduce lipophilicity without sacrificing permeability.
✦ Jonathan Powell (Domainex): Presented a compelling case for neuroinflammation, detailing the development of brain-penetrant C5aR1 negative allosteric modulators (NAMs).
✦ Mattia Cocco (AstraZeneca): Provided a masterclass in navigating SAR for Hemiasterlins. His talk was particularly valuable for its clear explanation of the critical balance between the payload and linker-handle constituents to optimize ADC stability.
The “Hatfield” meeting remains a vital touchpoint for our community. Huge thanks to the RSC BMCS and the organizers for a high-caliber event.