Module: Medicinal Chemistry

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Medicinal Chemistry
Module Code	CS311 (ITS) / CHM1029 (Banner)
Faculty	Science & Health	School	Chemical Sciences
Module Co-ordinator	Andrew Kellett
Module Teachers	Bríonna McGorman, Emma Coyle, Kieran Nolan
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Repeat examination
Array

Description

To introduce students to drug action. To introduce students to the basic concepts of drug design and what physicochemical properties of a molecule are important in therapeutic action. To introduce students to empirical methods which are used in drug design and invention. To introduce students to the important principles of drug delivery and what biological factors affect these processes. To introduce students to elementary pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism

Learning Outcomes

1. Recognise the importance of understanding the biological nature of a disease in order to develop effective drug treatments.
2. Use both structure activity relationships and quantitative structure activity relationships to develop new drug candidates.
3. Value the importance of bioavailability in the discovery of new drug candidates.
4. Use modern synthetic methods and strategies to create libraries of molecules for drug screening.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	36	No Description
Directed learning	24	Practice of sample questions
Independent Study	65	No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction
Review of Drug action, classification, sources and development and production.Drug Design: Conformation, stereochemistry, configuration.Structure-activity Relationships (SAR/QSAR) - Shape and size, substituents, partition coefficients, Hammett constants, Taft steric parameters, Methods based on Hansch and related approaches.Empirical Drug Design : Search for Lead Compounds; Natural Sources/Serendipity; Systematic Search; Combinatorial Libraries. Chemical Aspects of Drug Delivery: An integral part of drug action/design. Solubilities, pKa's and pH will be discussed and it's effect on drug design.Biological Membranes and Enzymes: Impact on drug design. Distribution, Elementary Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism: Use in drug design. Specific examples of drugs will be used.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Other Resources

None