The term structure-activity relationship (SAR) is now used to describe the process used by Ehrlich to develop arsphenamine, the first successful treatment for syphilis. In essence, Ehrlich synthesized a series of structurally related chemical compounds and tested each one to determine its pharmacological activity. In subsequent years many drugs were developed using the SAR approach. For example, the β-adrenergic antagonists (antihypertensive drugs) and the β2 agonists (asthma drugs) were developed initially by making minor modifications to the chemical structure of the naturally occurring agonists epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). Once a series of chemical compounds had been synthesized and tested, ...(100 of 13439 words)
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