Definition:
A compound with strong therapeutic potential whose activity and specificity have been optimized.
Hits obtained by high-throughput screening have potential to become antibiotic drugs. Their antibacterial properties must be confirmed, and their structure may need to be modified to maximize their activity or other properties that will make them suitable to be used as drugs. At the end of this process, the resulting compound is considered a ‘candidate’ and potentially suitable for clinical trials.
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