Database for drug metabolism and comparisons, NICEdrug.ch, aids discovery and design

The discovery of a drug requires over a decade of enormous research and financial investments—and still has a high risk of failure. To reduce this burden, we developed the NICEdrug.ch database, which incorporates 250,000 bio-active molecules, and studied their metabolic targets, fate, and toxicity. NICEdrug.ch includes a unique fingerprint that identifies reactive similarities between drug-drug and drug-metabolite pairs. We use NICEdrug.ch to evaluate inhibition and toxicity by the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil, and suggest avenues to alleviate its side effects. Clustering based on this fingerprint in statins identified drugs for repurposing. We propose shikimate 3-phosphate for targeting liver-stage malaria with minimal impact on the human host cell. Finally, NICEdrug.ch suggests over 1,300 drugs and food molecules to target COVID-19 and explains their inhibitory mechanisms. The NICEdrug.ch database is accessible online to systematically identify the reactivity of small molecules and druggable enzymes with practical applications in lead discovery and drug repurposing.