LEARNING OUTCOMES

The learning outcomes of the course include:

1. acquisition of the theoretical basis to understand the computational techniques and the synthetic strategies currently used in the drug-discovery process
2. acquisition of specific and professionalizing skills on the structure-activity relationships of the presented drug classes.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at presenting the relevant approaches currently used in the drug discovery process and the structure-activity relationships developed for chemotherapeutic agents (i.e. antibacterial, antiviral and antitumor agents) and for steroidal/peptide hormones. This knowledge is part of the cultural background characterizing a pharmacist as an healthcare professional.

PREREQUISITES

Prerequisites defined in the Learning Regulation

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The first part of the course is focussed on the drug discovery process with particular emphasis on computer aided drug design and combinatorial chemistry.

The second part deals with the synthetic strategies, the structure-activity relationships and the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties of different classes of chemotherapeutic drugs (e.g. antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antimycotic, antiviral and antitumor agents) and steroidal/peptide hormones.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foye's. Principi di chimica farmaceutica. Piccin

Wilson & Gisvold. Chimica Farmaceutica. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

Gasco, Gualtieri, Melchiorre. Chimica faramceutica. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana