Since its introduction by Nicholas Bodor in the late 1970s, the soft drug concept generated considerable research both in academic and in industrial settings.  Bodor defined soft drugs as biologically active, therapeutically useful chemical compounds characterized by a predictable and controllable in vivo metabolism to non-toxic moieties after they achieve their therapeutic role.  There are several rationally designed soft drugs that have either already reached the market, such as
* esmolol (Breviblock)
* landiolol (Onoact)
* remifentanil (Ultiva)
* loteprednol etabonate (Lotemax, Alrex, Zylet)
* clevidipine (Cleviprex)
* remimazolam (Byfavo)
or are in late-stage development (budiodarone, celivarone, AZD3043, tecafarin).  There are also compounds that can be considered as soft chemicals (e.g., malathion) or soft drugs (e.g., articaine, methylphenidate) even though they were not developed as such.