Drug discovery strategies for the identification of novel regulators of uterine contractility

Preterm birth and postpartum hemorrhage are the leading causes of neonatal and maternal morbidities worldwide, respectively. Current clinically-utilized tocolytics and uterotonics to manage these obstetric conditions are limited due to their off-target effects and/or lack of efficacy. Thus, an ideal tocolytic or uterotonic would be uterine-selective with rapid onset and long-duration efficacy. Here, we discuss strategies for the discovery of new therapeutic targets and compounds that regulate uterine contractility with the aforementioned properties.