Why Does a Drug’s Shape Matter?
Sunday, October 11, 2026110 words2 minutes2066 reads
Some molecules have two forms that look like mirror images. They are like a left hand and a right hand: similar, but they do not fit on top of each other. These forms can act differently in the body.
On October 7, the chemistry Nobel Prize went to Henri B. Kagan of France and Kenso Soai of Japan. Their work showed how a chemical reaction can help chemists make more of one mirror form than the other. This helps scientists make medicines with the form they want.
The work gives chemists useful tools. It does not fully explain why life first began to use one form more than the other.
