Chenming He,1 Jirong Zhang,1 Runze Zhang,1 Liang Liu,1 Jielian Luo,1 Wen Zhang,1 Bangjiang Fang1,2 

1Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Bangjiang Fang, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 725 Wanping South Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People’s Republic of China, Email fangbji@163.com

Purpose: This study systematically analyzed available literature related to fragment-based drug design (FBDD) published between 2015 and 2024 using bibliometric methods to identify research trends, hotspots, and emerging frontiers. The findings provide valuable information and a comprehensive reference for future FBDD research and drug development.
Methods: The relevant literature was comprehensively searched from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database using the keywords “Fragment-based drug design” or “FBDD”, covering articles published between January 1, 2015 and November 1, 2024. A total of 1,301 papers were included. Bibliometric analysis and knowledge mapping were conducted using the RStudio’s bibliometrix-biblioshiny package, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer software, assessing multiple dimensions such as journal co-occurrence, keyword density, institutional collaboration, and citation patterns.
Results: The research output in FBDD revealed fluctuating growth, with an average annual growth rate of 1.42%. The United States and China lead global research with 889 and 719 publications, respectively, contributing significantly to international collaboration (34.82%). Prominent research institutions included the Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the University of Cambridge, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, demonstrating strong academic influence. Key contributors such as Abell, C. Blundell, TL, and Johnson, CN, were among the top ten high-impact authors, significantly shaping the FBDD landscape through highly cited publications. Influential journals included the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, and the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, each highly recognized within the FBDD research community. Keyword analysis indicated core research directions focused on “fragment-based drug discovery”, “molecular docking”, and “drug discovery”, reflecting key technological advancements and research hotspots.
Conclusion: FBDD remains a dynamic field with ongoing global academic attention. Future research directions are likely to emphasize innovations in computational simulation, targeted drug screening, and molecular docking techniques, facilitating the advancement and development of novel therapeutic agents.

Keywords: fragment-based drug design, bibliometrics, knowledge mapping, research trends, drug discovery