2.54905 DESIGN OF MEDICINES

The course aims to introduce students to the concepts of drug design. On completion, the student should be able to show an understanding of the different approaches and the philosophy of drug development. Topics include: Concepts in drug design: types of drug action, physicochemical parameters solubility, partition coefficients, empirical electronic parameters. Mechanisms of drug action e.g. drugs acting on enzymes, biological membranes and non-specific actions. Pro-drugs. Design of Anti-metabolites. Drug structure activity relationships (SAR): Investigation of SAR using major therapeutic categories as case studies. 'Lead' optimisation and statistical approaches.

Contact hours: 6 hours per week (2 Lectures, 1 tutorial and 3 hour practical).

Assessment: Tests, assignments, practicals (60%), final exam (40%).

Prerequisite: 2.34905; 2.44908

Text:

Doege, R.F., (ed), Wilson and Gisvold's Textbook of Organic, Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 8th edition, J. B Lipincott Co., Philadelphia.