In this report, the author demonstrates the central role of chemistry in pharmaceutical research in the past. Although the modern researcher has a more sophisticated understanding of disease origins and more sophisticated means to new drugs, chemistry and ingenuity remain propelling elements of pharmaceutical research in the twenty-first century. Certainly, long-term experience in commercial drug research suggests that prior to launch, the eventual fate of a drug candidate may be less destined by quality and demand than by discrete decision procedures within top management.