Journal profile · Medicine-Pharmacology (medical)
Medicine in Drug Discovery
ISSN 2590-0986 · Elsevier · Netherlands
Medicine in Drug Discovery: fully open access; APC about USD 3,010; review about 37 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 42 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Medicine in Drug Discovery is published by Elsevier. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery, SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research and Computational Drug Discovery Methods, together about 31.5% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Medicine in Drug Discovery is a peer-reviewed open access journal. The journal publishes original papers related to basic, preclinical and clinical studies covering all aspects of drug discovery and development. Clinical studies with a focus on efficacy and safety, target engagement, biomarkers, PK/PD, side effects etc. are also covered in the journal.Article types accepted include, but are not limited to, original research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications and editorials.The journal is in cooperation with The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medicine-Pharmacology (medical)
Editor-in-chief Ming-Wei WangPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 14 in mainland China (about 64%); most named Mainland China 14, United States 5, South Korea 3 (22 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Nanoparticle-Based Drug DeliveryMaterials Science11.4%
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchMedicine10%
- Computational Drug Discovery MethodsComputer Science10%
- COVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesMedicine8.7%
- Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics7.6%
- Synthesis and biological activityChemistry5.9%
- RNA Interference and Gene DeliveryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
- Immunotherapy and Immune ResponsesImmunology and Microbiology3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology (medical) | Q1 | 16/278 | 94th |
| Pharmacology | Q1 | 30/328 | 91st |
| Drug Discovery | Q1 | 18/161 | 89th |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
Database indexing
ScopusDOAJLetPub
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 11.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 11.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.15LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.28LetPub ·
- h-index
- 46OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 123OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 9.18OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 250 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 20 | 1,288 |
| 2025 | 42 | 42 | 1,433 |
| 2024 | 25 | 25 | 1,101 |
| 2023 | 22 | 22 | 887 |
| 2022 | 31 | 31 | 871 |
| 2021 | 37 | 37 | 776 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
37 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 10 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 10 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 37 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 6 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 3,010 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 2,460 / EUR 2,300 / GBP 1,970 / JPY 305,110 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,860 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,380 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted5
- case reportsArticle types accepted include, but are not limited to, original research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications and editorials.Length not stated
- editorialsArticle types accepted include, but are not limited to, original research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications and editorials.Length not stated
- original research articlesArticle types accepted include, but are not limited to, original research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications and editorials.Length not stated
- reviewsArticle types accepted include, but are not limited to, original research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications and editorials.Length not stated
- short communicationsArticle types accepted include, but are not limited to, original research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications and editorials.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, 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
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 ·- Data availability
Data statement encouraged. Model summary
To foster transparency, you are encouraged to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Ethics in publishing. 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
Open access journal. Model summary
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; minimum of two reviewers; editors make final decision. 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. 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.
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
- Country or region
- Netherlands
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2590-0986
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Medicine in Drug Discovery
How long does peer review take at Medicine in Drug Discovery?
The publisher reports about 37 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 10 weeks. 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Medicine in Drug Discovery?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Medicine in Drug Discovery based?
Of the 22 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 14 (about 64%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (14), United States (5) and South Korea (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Medicine in Drug Discovery?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Medicine in Drug Discovery is indexed in Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Medicine in Drug Discovery open access, and what is the APC?
Medicine in Drug Discovery is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,010.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .