Compounds bearing the phosphorusâcarbon (PâC) bond have important pharmacological, biochemical, and toxicological properties. Historically, the most notable reaction for the formation of the PâC bond is the MichaelisâArbuzov reaction, first described in 1898. The classical MichaelisâArbuzov reaction entails a reaction between an alkyl halide and a trialkyl phosphite to yield a dialkylalkylphosphonate. Nonetheless, deviations from the classical mechanisms and new modifications have appeared that allowed the expansion of the library of reactants and consequently the chemical space of the yielded products. These involve the use of Lewis acid catalysts, green methods, ultrasound, microwave, photochemically-assisted reactions, aryne-based reactions, etc. Here, a detailed presentation of the MichaelisâArbuzov reaction and its developments and applications in the synthesis of biomedically important agents is provided. Certain examples of such applications include the development of alkylphosphonofluoridates as serine hydrolase inhibitors and activity-based probes, and the PâC containing antiviral and anticancer agents.