Global Drug Discovery Experts Gathered in Riga to Discuss Next-Generation ¹⁹F NMR Screening

Riga, Latvia | September 2026 • Scientific roundtable and poster discussion

During the Enamine Drug Discovery Conference, held in Riga on 20–23 September 2026, conference guests and participants joined researchers from Enamine and the National Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI) for a roundtable discussion on "¹⁹F NMR Spectroscopy in Biomedical Research." The discussion took place on 21 September in Sigma Hall and focused on faster, more sensitive methods for fragment-based drug discovery.

Overcoming a Key Bottleneck in Fragment-Based Drug Discovery

Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) has become an important approach in modern drug discovery, enabling researchers to identify promising starting points for the development of new medicines. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the most reliable methods for performing fragment screening, however, due to the inherently low sensitivity of NMR it can be time-consuming, limiting the number of compounds and biological targets that can be investigated efficiently. As a result, faster but less reliable methods are employed before confirming results by NMR. Enhancing NMR throughput would enable its broader adoption as a primary screening, improving both confidence in the screening results and cost-effectiveness. The novel ¹⁹F NMR screening approach presented by NIRI and Enamine addresses this challenge by delivering up to a tenfold reduction in experimental screening time compared with conventional NMR methods. By substantially accelerating fragment screening while maintaining the ability to identify and validate promising hits, the technology has the potential to make fragment-based drug discovery more practical, scalable, and accessible across a broader range of therapeutic targets. Combined with Enamine's extensive compound libraries and synthetic chemistry capabilities, this approach also enables rapid follow-up exploration and optimization of identified hits.

Roundtable participants

Scientific advances presented at the conference

A scientific poster by Laura Ruduša, Rihards Aleksis and collaborators at NIRI and Enamine presented rapid fragment screening using ¹⁹F steady-state free precession (SSFP) NMR. The method achieved an average 3.3-fold improvement in signal-to-noise performance and up to a tenfold reduction in experimental time under the evaluated conditions. The poster reported a theoretical screening throughput exceeding 1,400 compounds per day for identification of site-specific binders.

Experiments demonstrated screening of folded and intrinsically disordered protein targets, including E. coli SerRS, Tau, DHODH and TARG1. Orthogonal studies supported selected hits, including structural evidence of a fragment bound to the SerRS active site and a Tau-binding hit that slowed aggregation in an experimental assay.

Discussion around the NIRI–Enamine poster

Conference poster discussion. From left to right: Anna Vulpetti (Novartis), Rihards Aleksis (NIRI), Prof. Brian K. Shoichet (University of California, San Francisco), John Maxwell (Senior Vice President of Chemistry, Tango Therapeutics), and Laura Ruduša (NIRI).

From screening hits to follow-up chemistry

The integration of NIRI's ¹⁹F NMR screening capabilities with Enamine's fluorinated fragment libraries offers a practical route from hit identification to follow-up chemistry. Enamine's extensive stock collection and synthesis capabilities can facilitate rapid access to related compounds and analogues for hit validation, structure–activity relationship exploration and early hit-to-lead optimization. This continuity can reduce delays between identifying a fragment hit and testing the next generation of molecules.

About NIRI

The National Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI), based in Riga, Latvia, brings together more than 500 researchers working across chemistry, biomedical sciences and related disciplines. Its research capabilities support both fundamental discovery and collaborative services for industrial partners.

About Enamine

Enamine is a global supplier of chemical building blocks, screening compounds and drug discovery services. Its in-stock screening collection includes more than three million compounds, complemented by extensive make-on-demand chemistry capabilities and specialized fragment libraries.

Media and scientific contacts

Scientific source: Ruduša, L. et al., "Rapid Fragment Screening by ¹⁹F Steady-State Free Precession NMR," Angewandte Chemie (2026). Figures and experimental examples are drawn from the NIRI–Enamine conference poster.