This special issue (issue 20, 2016) contains papers, representing extended versions of selected presentations at the International Conference on Clinical Sciences and Drug Discovery (CSDD2016), which took place in Dundee Scotland from 27th to 29th of July 2016. CSDD 2016 was attended by clinicians, scientists, policy makers, innovators, public health researchers, pharmaceutical scientists, internists and primary care physicians from all over the world. Presentations at the Conference discussed important international breakthroughs in the fields of clinical sciences and drug discovery.