GENERAL
ByJames DIttamiJames DIttami
62200
Updated: 8/21/2019 6:25 AM
Course Context
This module is an activity, which takes place approximately
halfway through a Medicinal Chemistry graduate level course. Thus, students
will have been exposed to a fair amount of introductory material in preparation
for this activity. The course focuses on the medicinal chemistry
aspects of drug discovery, design, development and approval. Topics include
Chemotherapeutic Agents (such as antibacterial, antiviral and antitumor agents)
and Pharmacodynamic Agents (such as antihypertensive, antiallergic, antiulcer
and CNS agents). The syllabus with Course Learning objectives, list of topics
and corresponding assessments is provided as an attachment to this card.
"Making Drugs–Legally"/ What Makes a Good Drug Bad?
The Hook: Five thousand years ago the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung made a tea from an herb, Ma Huang, to treat cough and congestion. The active ingredient Ephedrine was isolated and used for years for the treatment of asthma. The left-handed version of ephedrine known as Sudafed is a popular nasal decongestant. Simply replacing an Oxygen and Hydrogen on either with a single Hydrogen atom provides the dangerously addictive recreational drug of abuse methamphetamine better known as “Crystal Meth”, made infamous by the TV series “Breaking Bad.”
In this module, students are prompted to design orphan drug products for rare conditions and diseases. Students will employ a rationale based approach to drug design for legal and therapeutically useful products, based on the structure and function of the drug site of action (the target), and pharmacokinetic properties of the drug substance: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME). The activity involves Preparation outside of class in support of a team based project. It incorporates a Jig-Saw approach where Subject Matter Experts research the four major therapeutic targets and report back to the Home Group (the Team), followed by a formal Design and Presentation component.
DisciplinesBiomedical Engineering | Chemistry | Health Sciences & Medical
InstitutionsWorcester Polytechnic Institute