Pharmacophore in a drug is a collection of all the binding positions that are important for the activity of the drug. Its identification is of much significance in establishment of drug quality.
The identification of pharmacophores that are three dimensional can be achieved with the help of molecular modeling. These helps in identification of the dummy bonds, and the dummy center of the atom called the centroid.
The tactics of simplification have been successfully utilized with the cocaine alkaloid. Cocaine possesses several properties of a local anaesthetic. Its simplification results in development of several local anaesthetics that can be laboratory synthesized.
Several analogues of cocaine have also been formulated that have been found to retain the activity of cocaine. One such example is the novocaine or procaine. It was developed as early as 1906. It is simpler than the structure and displays similar activity.