Medicinal chemistry
Summary
This course introduces medicinal chemistry: how small molecules are designed and optimised to become medicines, covering principles of molecular recognition, pharmacokinetics, and drug design alongside selected therapeutic examples and emerging modalities.
Content
Small molecule drugs remain among the most powerful tools in medicine. This course follows the logic of drug discovery: from how a molecule interacts with its biological target, through the properties that determine whether it reaches that target in the body, to the strategies used to find and optimise drug candidates - illustrated throughout with real drugs and discovery stories.
Foundational principles:
- Drug-target interactions and molecular recognition
- Pharmacokinetics, ADMET, and prodrug strategies
- Drug design: ligand-based, structure-based, and computational approaches
- Hit identification and lead generation
- Selectivity in drug design
- Structure-activity relationship
Therapeutic class examples (illustrative, not exhaustive): enzyme inhibitors; anticancer and antimicrobial agents
Emerging modalities: targets without active sites; targeted protein degradation and molecular glues
Teaching methods
Each session consists of a 1h lecture followed by a 1h exercise session. The exercise hour is a mix of guided problem solving and student presentations.
Expected student activities
Attendance at lectures and exercise sessions; completion of problem sets; preparation and delivery of one group presentation.
Assessment methods
Written exam (80%) + student presentation (20%)
Resources
Bibliography
Attendance at lectures and problem sessions provides the material needed for the exam. Additional reading:
- Patrick, An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry (6th ed., OUP) is recommended for consolidation and deeper understanding
- Silverman & Holladay, The Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action (3rd ed., Elsevier) and primary literature are useful for further depth and presentation preparation
Moodle Link
In the programs
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Medicinal chemistry
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: mandatory
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Medicinal chemistry
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: mandatory