Journal profile · Chemistry, Medicinal
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
ISSN 0223-5234 · eISSN 1768-3254 · Elsevier Masson SAS · FRANCE · Monthly
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 6.61; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,650; median 65 days to acceptance (162 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy (Elsevier website: 32%); 1,195 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry is published by Elsevier Masson SAS and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Synthesis and biological activity, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation and Cancer therapeutics and mechanisms, together about 31.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Organic Chemistry. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
EJMECH (The European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry) is a global journal that publishes studies on the main aspects of medicinal chemistry. It provides a medium for publication of original research papers and it welcomes critical review papers.A typical paper would report on the design (with or without the support of computational methods), organic synthesis, characterization and biochemical/pharmacological evaluation of novel, potent compounds preferentially with a clear (or proven) mechanism of action and/or target. Other topics of interest are molecular aspects of drug metabolism, prodrug synthesis and drug targeting. The journal expects manuscripts to present a clear rational for a study, provide insight into the strategy and design of compounds and into the mechanism of action, and biological targets. Manuscripts reporting only computational studies are out-of-scope unless a new method (broadly applicable, validated and available to the community) is reported. Authors are kindly invited to look to published articles for the scope of the journal and the organisation of papers.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Chemistry, Medicinal
Editor-in-chief Paola BarrajaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 12 in mainland China (about 31%); most named Mainland China 12, United States 7, India 6, France 4, Taiwan, China 2 (39 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Synthesis and biological activityChemistry15.4%
- Synthesis and Biological EvaluationChemistry9.1%
- Cancer therapeutics and mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.7%
- Computational Drug Discovery MethodsComputer Science5.9%
- Click Chemistry and ApplicationsChemistry5.5%
- Bioactive Compounds and Antitumor AgentsPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics4.7%
- Synthesis and Characterization of Heterocyclic CompoundsChemistry4.6%
- Quinazolinone synthesis and applicationsChemistry3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Medicinal | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Medicinal | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Medicinal | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 6.61LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.15LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.34LetPub ·
- h-index
- 135LetPub ·
- h-index
- 239OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 13,832OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.25OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 15.37%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,042LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 19,244 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 755 | 182 | 381 |
| 2025 | 1,195 | 367 | 5,741 |
| 2024 | 1,010 | 635 | 12,372 |
| 2023 | 943 | 614 | 16,920 |
| 2022 | 882 | 559 | 19,765 |
| 2021 | 854 | 541 | 26,469 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
65 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 48 days – 93 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 4 days (162 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 70 days
- Sample
- 162 articles with submission and acceptance dates (2,302 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 4.3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 32%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 21 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 61 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,650 / EUR 4,350 / GBP 3,720 / JPY 576,740 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,680 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteArticle types accepted4
- original research articleThis journal accepts two types of manuscripts:Original Research articles:These articles present a complete study that is to say that they should contain the syn…Length not stated
- original research articlesOriginal Research articles: These articles present a complete study that is to say that they should contain the synthesis and evaluation of new compounds. The i…Length not stated
- reviewThis journal accepts two types of manuscripts:Original Research articles:These articles present a complete study that is to say that they should contain the syn…Length not stated
- review articleThis journal accepts two types of manuscripts:Original Research articles:These articles present a complete study that is to say that they should contain the syn…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Submission declaration: work not published previously except as preprint/abstract/lecture/thesis/registered report; not under consideration elsewhere; approval by all authors; not published elsewhere in same form without written consent of copyright-holder; manuscripts may be checked with screening Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Authors must follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process; initial editor assessment; typically a minimum of two reviewers; editors make the accept/reject decision; formal appeal requests allowed per Elsevier's Appeal Policy, one appeal per submission, appeal decision final. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed per Elsevier's article sharing policy and does not count as prior publication; free preprint posting service on SSRN offered; posting on SSRN is optional and has no effect on the editorial process or publication outcome. Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Masson SAS
- Country or region
- FRANCE
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- ISSN
- 0223-5234
- Electronic ISSN
- 1768-3254
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
What CAS zone is European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Chemistry, Medicinal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.61; CiteScore 10.8, h-index 239.
How long does peer review take at European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry?
Based on the dates recorded on 162 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 65 days (interquartile range 48–93 days); authors report an average review time of about 4.3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy (Elsevier website: 32%)”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry based?
Of the 39 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 12 (about 31%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (12), United States (7) and India (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry open access, and what is the APC?
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,650.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .