Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry is a biweekly peer-reviewed journal published by the American Chemical Society (ACS Publications) covering the relationship between molecular structure and biological activity. For the 2025 Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate), its 2-year Journal Impact Factor is 7.3 (Q1, Chemistry, Medicinal) with a 5-year Impact Factor of 7.6 and a CiteScore of 11.1. In accordance with DORA and CoARA principles, these journal-level metrics describe aggregate citation frequency across two- and five-year windows and should not be used as an evaluative proxy for the quality of individual articles.

ByCASRAI Editorial Board

· Last updated 7 Nov 2026

What the metric measures and how it is calculated

The 2-year Journal Impact Factor divides citations received in a calendar year by the number of citable articles and reviews published during the two preceding years. For the 2025 JCR data year, the journal received a 7.3 JIF, placing it in quartile 1 (Q1) of the Web of Science Chemistry, Medicinal category. Clarivate also reports a 5-year Impact Factor of 7.6, reflecting the multi-year development timelines common to pharmacology research.

Separately, Scopus calculates CiteScore across a 4-year citation window, giving the journal an 11.1 score. Authors can consult our guide on how to look up a journal’s impact factor to check verified indexing figures.

Editorial scope and compound purity standards

The journal publishes conceptual advances in drug discovery. Core requirements include:

Structure-Activity Relationships (SAR): Studies must provide systematic SAR analysis across complete chemical series. Preliminary or single-lead findings belong in sister journal ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.
Mechanistic Pharmacology: Submissions require target engagement, selectivity, and cellular mechanism data, frequently referencing databases like ChEMBL.
Compound Purity Verification: All tested compounds must show greater than 95% purity by HPLC analysis, with traces submitted in supporting information.

Review model and open access options

The journal uses single-blind peer review led by Editor-in-Chief Craig W. Lindsley. Authors have two publishing pathways:

Transformative Agreements: Authors at institutions with ACS Read + Publish agreements publish open access without paying author processing charges.
Gold Open Access: Authors may publish under CC BY or CC BY-NC-ND licenses by paying an APC, fulfilling NIH, UKRI, and Wellcome Trust mandates.

Responsible research assessment and evaluative cautions

Although the journal holds a top Q1 ranking, journal metrics do not evaluate individual articles. Citation distributions are heavily skewed by exceptional papers. Under DORA guidelines, research should be judged on intrinsic scientific rigor rather than publication venue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current Impact Factor of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry?

Its 2-year Journal Impact Factor is 7.3 in the 2025 Clarivate Journal Citation Reports, with a 5-year Impact Factor of 7.6.

Who publishes the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry?

The American Chemical Society (ACS Publications) publishes the journal biweekly, maintaining publication under its current title since 1963.

What is the journal’s compound purity requirement?

Authors must verify that all tested compounds achieve greater than 95% purity via HPLC analysis before biological testing.

Is the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry open access?

It is a hybrid journal offering open access via institutional ACS Read + Publish agreements or author-paid APCs under Creative Commons licenses.

Use in your systems

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