From misjudgment to confirmation:a four-decade revision of absolute configuration of mefloquine hydrochloride and its implications for military pharmaceutical research
ZHOU Gang
WEI Zhao
NIE Huifang
LI Muqiong
XI Jiayue
WANG Ping'an
Abstract：Mefloquine hydrochloride is a critically important antimalarial agent with strategic significance for military overseas operations.Nevertheless,the absolute configuration of its stereoisomers remained controversial for decades.Early studies erroneously assigned the(+)-erythro enantiomer as(11R,12S),leading to extensive subsequent research being based on an incorrect structural foundation.Systematic review reveals that this misassignment stemmed from technical limitations and cognitive biases,while modern chiral synthesis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction ultimately provided unequivocal confirmation.Reflecting on the characteristics of military-specific drug development,this case underscores the necessity of accurate structural elucidation for chiral drugs,the pivotal role of technological advancement,and the imperative of critical thinking in military pharmaceutical research.
Keywords：mefloquinestereoisomerismchiralitymolecular structurecrystallographydrug developmentmilitary medicinepharmaceutical
Publication Date：2025-11-30
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-26(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 1409-1414 )