About the Journal

Journal of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Aims and Scope

The Journal of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (JPC) publishes original research and scholarly work covering the scientific and technical aspects of drug discovery, drug development, pharmaceutical analysis, formulation, and manufacturing technologies related to drugs and pharmaceutical intermediates.

To facilitate appropriate editorial handling and peer review, manuscripts submitted to JPC are assigned to one of four broad subject areas. Each section has a defined scope while contributing to the journal's overall focus on pharmaceutical sciences and drug development.

Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry

This section publishes research in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, drug design, molecular modelling, and related areas of pharmaceutical chemistry.

Studies describing the design and synthesis of new molecules, development of synthetic methodologies, structure–activity relationships, and biological evaluation of compounds are welcome. Computational or theoretical studies should, wherever appropriate, be supported by relevant experimental data.

Manuscripts should demonstrate a meaningful degree of novelty, either in the chemistry and synthetic approach, the compounds investigated, their biological activity, or the scientific understanding generated by the study.

Pharmaceutical Formulation and Analysis

This section covers the design, development, characterization, and evaluation of pharmaceutical formulations and drug-delivery systems, including studies of in vitro and in vivo drug-release behaviour.

The section also considers research involving the development and validation of analytical methods relevant to pharmaceutical substances, formulations, impurities, degradation products, and related materials. Analytical methods should be developed and validated in accordance with appropriate scientific and regulatory guidelines, where applicable.

JPC particularly welcomes formulation studies that demonstrate a clear scientific rationale or innovation, including the use of novel or modified drugs, excipients, delivery systems, or formulation approaches to improve pharmaceutical performance.

Phytochemistry and Ethnomedicine

This section publishes research on the isolation, purification, identification, characterization, and biological evaluation of compounds and fractions obtained from natural sources, including medicinal plants and other biologically relevant natural materials.

Studies reporting biological activity solely from crude aqueous, methanolic, or similar extracts, without adequate chemical characterization or identification of the components responsible for the observed activity, are generally discouraged.

For studies involving bioactive fractions, authors are encouraged to provide appropriate chemical profiling, such as HPLC or HPTLC fingerprinting, together with relevant biomarkers or marker compounds where applicable.

When a biologically active compound is isolated, sufficient analytical and spectroscopic evidence should be provided to establish its identity and structure. Depending on the compound and study, this may include techniques such as UV spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, ^1H NMR, ^13C NMR, and appropriate two-dimensional NMR methods.

Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology

This section covers experimental research in biochemistry, molecular pharmacology, pharmacological assay development, and preclinical drug discovery.

Relevant submissions may include the development, validation, and application of in vitro biochemical assays, cellular models, molecular studies, and in vivo pharmacological models used in drug discovery and development.

Computational and simulation studies may also be considered when they are supported by appropriate experimental evidence and when meaningful correlations between computational predictions and experimental findings are demonstrated.

Research involving animals must comply with applicable ethical and regulatory requirements. Manuscripts reporting animal experiments should include details of approval from the relevant institutional ethics committee or equivalent regulatory body.

Article Types

The Journal of Pharmaceutical Chemistry primarily accepts manuscripts in the following categories:

Research Articles
Research Communications
Review Articles

The journal may also consider concise communications presenting particularly significant, timely, or scientifically informative findings.

Peer Review Process

JPC follows a double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of the authors and reviewers are concealed from one another during peer review.

Manuscripts considered suitable for review are normally evaluated by three independent reviewers. Editorial decisions are made after considering the reviewers' reports, with recommendations from at least two reviewers generally required before a manuscript is considered for publication.

Reviewers are normally given a minimum of three weeks to complete their assessments. The editorial team aims to coordinate the review process efficiently while allowing reviewers sufficient time to provide a careful and constructive evaluation of each manuscript.

Final publication decisions remain the responsibility of the journal's editorial team and are based on the scientific quality, originality, relevance, ethical compliance, and overall suitability of the manuscript for JPC.

Publication Frequency

JPC publishes one annual volume and follows a continuous publication model.

Articles are published online individually after they have successfully completed the editorial and peer-review process and are ready for publication, rather than being held until the completion of an entire issue.

Open Access Policy

The Journal of Pharmaceutical Chemistry provides immediate open access to its published content.

The journal supports the principle that making scholarly research freely accessible helps improve the visibility and dissemination of scientific work and contributes to the broader exchange of knowledge among researchers, professionals, students, and the public.