Events
MCADDI 2026 — Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Discovery & Development India
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Event Details
MCADDI — Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Discovery & Development India, is a six-day in-person program presenting the complete drug discovery and development pipeline to researchers, students, and professionals working in or transitioning into the life sciences industry.
The program has been conducted since 2015 in collaboration with the American Chemical Society and IUPAC. Past editions have been held at Biocon Academy, Bangalore, drawing over 120 participants per edition from industry and academia across India. The 2024 edition featured 17 speakers from institutions including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, AbbVie, Schrodinger, Sun Pharma, Aurigene, and Glenmark, with a keynote address by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw. MCADDI 2026 marks the first edition to be held in Hyderabad.
SCIENTIFIC SCOPE: The program covers three broad thematic areas across six days.
Discovery & Design: Target identification and validation, principles of medicinal chemistry, hit identification and high-throughput screening, hit-to-lead and lead optimization, structure-based and AI-driven drug design, molecular modelling and in silico tools, drug-like and physicochemical properties.
Development & Translation: Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, preclinical and translational ADME/PK, bioisosteres and prodrugs in drug design, designing around toxicophores, biopharmaceutics and developability, clinical development and regulatory pathways, process chemistry and manufacturing.
Advanced Modalities: Biologics and monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), protein degraders and molecular glues, G‑protein coupled receptors, enzymes, receptors and ion channels, and integrated drug discovery case histories.
New in 2026: A dedicated afternoon session on AI applications in drug discovery and development, covering machine learning in medicinal chemistry, in silico screening, and real-world AI case studies from industry. A special evening session will feature a CEO conclave and fireside chat with leaders from India’s pharma and biotech industry.
FACULTY: MCADDI 2026 will feature 30+ speakers from leading global pharma companies and research institutions. Faculty from previous editions have included scientists from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, AbbVie, Schrodinger, Sun Pharma, Aurigene, Glenmark, Zydus, Glenmark, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, and the University of Kentucky, among others. The 2026 speaker list is being finalized and will be announced shortly.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
MCADDI is designed for:
- PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in chemistry, biology, pharmacology, and related disciplines
- Faculty and academic researchers in life sciences
- Bachelors and Masters students considering careers in drug discovery
- Scientists and researchers working in pharma and biotech companies
- Professionals from CROs, CDMOs, and allied healthcare sectors
- Regulatory, clinical, and drug development professionals
The program is particularly relevant to scientists who have deep expertise in one area of drug discovery but seek an integrated understanding of the full pipeline — from first molecule to clinical development.
WHY HYDERABAD: Hyderabad is home to one of India’s largest concentrations of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, and CDMOs — including Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Aurobindo Pharma, Hetero, Laurus Labs, Biological E, Bharat Biotech, and numerous CROs. The University of Hyderabad, one of India’s Institutions of Eminence, provides an ideal academic setting for a program that bridges the industry-academia gap in drug discovery.
THE GAP THIS PROGRAM ADDRESSES: India contributes less than 1% of novel drug approvals globally despite producing world-class scientific talent. A significant contributing factor is the absence of integrated, industry-interface training that connects academic scientific excellence to the full drug discovery pipeline. MCADDI is designed specifically to address this gap — bringing together global faculty with firsthand drug discovery experience to give Indian scientists an end-to-end perspective on how drugs are actually discovered, developed, and brought to patients.
