VPS3012 - Drug discovery and development

Leader(s): Dr David Chalmers

Offered

Parkville Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

To provide an overview of the important processes in pharmaceutical development including:

• drug lead identification
• target identification and validation
• proteomics, genomics and pharmacogenomics
• drugs to treat infectious diseases and the use of bioisosteres in drug design
• the importance and application of pharmaceutics in drug development
• the clinical trial process.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit the students will have knowledge of the:

1. Major approaches to drug discovery;
2. The process of identifying a drug target and the steps required to validate that target;
3. Drugs that treat infectious diseases and approaches to developing those drugs;
4. The importance of pharmaceutics in drug development;
5. Regulatory requirements for drugs;
6. The clinical trial process;
7. Legal documentation of pharmaceutical product invention.

Assessment

oral presentation: 15%; written assignment: 15%; final exam: 70%

Contact hours

36 1 hour lectures

Prerequisites

VPS2062 Pharmacology
VPS2092 Molecular cell biology

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso