MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry / Course details

A level chemistry or equivalent

1. Provide an introduction to the drug design process

2. Consider the basic pharmaceutical chemistry properties of drugs and their formulation

3. Discuss natural products as an inspiration for the development of medicines

4. Promote group-learning through an assessed drug report

Students successfully completing this unit should have developed the ability to:

• Appreciate the types of bonding between a drug and its receptor.
• Identify functional groups in any low MW drug.
• Recognise ionisable groups in any low MW drug and estimate their ionisation in the blood and stomach.
• Predict the basic shape and conformation for any low MW drug.
• Recall the importance of stereochemistry with regards to drug development.
• Identify any potential stereoisomers of any low MW drug from its structure.
• Appreciate that a drug is formulated into a medicine by the addition of excipients.
• Recognise that a medicine is typically available as a range of formulations depending on the needs of the condition and/or patient.
• Analyse and evaluate the literature on the pharmaceutical chemistry of a medicine, and write a report.
• Working as a group.
• Problem solve.
• Complete database searching.

1. Group feedback will be given in the workshops throughout the module.
2. Short answer questions will be circulated in advance and discussed in the workshops.
3. Written feedback and grades will be provided on the drug reports typically within 3 teaching weeks after the deadline.
4. Students are encouraged to individually discuss issues with academic staff before/after lectures/workshops.
5. Students are encouraged to contact academic staff by email (Elena.v.bichenkova@manchester.ac.uk, richard.bryce@manchester.ac.uk, sam.butterworth@manchester.ac.uk, sally.freeman@manchester.ac.uk, roger.whitehead@manchester.ac.uk) to discuss issues and/or to arrange an appointment.

• Essentials of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (3rd ed) D. Cairns, Pharmaceutical Press, London, 2003. Chapters 1, 2,3,4,8. Available as an e-book on Myilibrary.
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Editors Jill Barber and Chris Rostron, Oxford University Press, 2013.