SE5:E1 - A Journey of Synthetic Chemistry Innovations at Merck
5/18/202641 min
To kick off Season 5, Dani and LC discuss a recent perspective published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry that highlights innovations in synthetic chemistry which trace their origins to the work of discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics. This publication was the most accessed paper published in JOC in 2025!
Dani and LC explore the motivations on writing it, its main thesis and lesson learned from reexamining nearly 75 years of chemistry innovations at Merck.
Be sure to listen through to the very end for a special Season 5 theme reveal!
Read and listen to some of the papers we discussed today:
From Cortisone to Enlicitide: A Journey of Synthetic Chemistry Innovations at Merck
Follow the Pharm to Table podcast on X - @PharmtoTablePod
Visit our website at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pharm-to-table
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsL.-C. Campeau· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Hi, I'm LC, and I'm a storyteller. I'm a passionate chemist who loves to explore and tell stories about how chemistry can change the world.
Dani Schultz· Host0:10
And I'm Dani, and I'm LC's spirited chemistry co-host. I love to bring high energy and positivity to my chemistry, but also my life. Welcome to the Farm to Table podcast.
L.-C. Campeau· Host0:21
[upbeat music] We're two chemists working at the pharmaceutical company Merck in the US.
Dani Schultz· Host0:31
Also known as MSD everywhere else in the world except Canada, the US, and its territories.
L.-C. Campeau· Host0:36
And this is a podcast where we'll tell you stories about the people and the science behind the papers published by our chemistry group.
Dani Schultz· Host0:44
Each week, we'll pick one to two papers that we've recently published and introduce you to the key people behind it, and also ask them to give you a unique insight into the story behind it.
L.-C. Campeau· Host0:54
Hello, listeners, and welcome to season five.
Dani Schultz· Host1:04
Whoop whoop.
L.-C. Campeau· Host1:05
Isn't that amazing, Dani?
Dani Schultz· Host1:06
I think we're now in the 99.9999999 percentile or something. Like- I agree.
L.-C. Campeau· Host1:14
I agree. I, uh, you know, we've come a long way since the original inception, and I'm always, um, [lip smacks] you know, surprised and gratified when people tell us they listen to the podcast and, and, and they love hearing it, and, you know, we keep doing it. So here we