---
title: "Med-chem reaction types Template | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/pharma-reaction-types/
description: "Med-chem reaction types template: The reaction classes that build most drug-discovery compounds — amide coupling, Suzuki–Miyaura, SNAr, Buchwald–Hartwig…"
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-11-13
---
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# Med-chem reaction types template

![Med-chem reaction types template: The reaction classes that build most drug-discovery compounds — amide coupling, Suzuki–Miyaura, SNAr, Buchwald–Hartwig amination and reductive amination — one generic transformation each (R groups, reaction class only; no conditions).](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/download/pharma-reaction-types.svg)

[Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)[Download SVG](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/download/pharma-reaction-types.svg)

Free template. Download it, or open it in MolDraw to change it first.

The reaction classes that build most drug-discovery compounds — amide coupling, Suzuki–Miyaura, SNAr, Buchwald–Hartwig amination and reductive amination — one generic transformation each (R groups, reaction class only; no conditions).

## What the template shows

- The handful of reaction classes behind most drug-discovery analogues (Brown & Boström, 2016)
- carboxylic acid
- aryl halide
- boronic acid
- activated aryl fluoride
- aryl amine
- aldehyde / ketone
- secondary amine
- One generic example each
- 1. Amide coupling
- 2. Suzuki–Miyaura coupling
- 3. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr)
- 4. Buchwald–Hartwig amination
- 5. Reductive amination
- A small set of robust, tolerant reactions makes most analogues: amide bonds and metal-catalysed C–C / C–N couplings dominate medicinal-chemistry papers.
- Amide coupling (acid + amine) is the single most-used reaction; reagent choice aside, it joins two fragments through a stable bond.
- Suzuki–Miyaura (aryl halide + boronic acid) builds biaryls; SNAr and Buchwald–Hartwig install nitrogen on (hetero)arenes.
- Reductive amination turns a carbonyl and an amine into a C–N bond — a quick way to vary an amine substituent.
- R = the rest of the molecule. Conditions and reagents are deliberately left out; this is a map of reaction classes.
- Brown & Boström, J. Med. Chem. 2016, 59, 4443 · every part of this sheet is editable

Drawn with 84 atoms, 5 arrows, 6 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.

## Sources

- [Brown & Boström, J. Med. Chem. 2016, 59, 4443](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01409) Review

## How to use this template

1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Med-chem reaction types template free?

Yes. The Med-chem reaction types template is one of the free MolDraw templates: open it in the editor or download it from this page as SVG or PNG and use it in your slides, worksheets and notes.

### Can I edit the Med-chem reaction types template?

Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.

### Is the chemistry checked?

Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.

### Are the IC₅₀ values in the SAR table real?

No. They are illustrative example values so the table can be filled in with your own data; the structures and R-group positions are checked with RDKit.

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