Medicinal Chemistry
The medicinal chemistry course builds on previous chemistry courses (basic chemistry, organic chemistry and bio-organic chemistry), where important chemical principles are transferred and applied to pharmacologically active substances.
Medicinal chemistry focuses on molecular mechanisms of action for active substances, how active substances (drugs) interact with their target structures, intermolecular interactions and structure-activity relationships (SAR). In addition, the course focuses on the breakdown of active substances in the body (metabolism), the significance of stereochemistry regarding the pharmacological effect of drugs and pharmacokinetics, important aspects of drug development, and drug synthesis. Selected main groups of active substances are used to help shed light on these main themes.
After completing the subject, the student is able to:
Knowledge
- account for how active substances affect different target structures such as receptors, enzymes, ion channels and transport proteins
- account for how active substances are metabolized
- account for the conditions of pharmaceutical structure/activity, including which structural traits and functional groups influence this type of biological activity
- account for the central processes in drug development
- identify the physicochemical properties of active substances from their structure.
Skills
- apply chemical principles to certain active substances which are of importance regarding their activity and stability
General competence:
- plan and execute a prescribed project and convey the project results both written and orally to a sufficient standard
Work methods and learning activities in this course are diverse and consist of lectures, online lessons and seminars. In addition, the course requires students to work individually.
There is compulsory participation in this course. Reason for compulsory participation: Participation provides general competence that cannot be acquired alone.