The main goal of this module is to provide key insights on the chemistry of selected drug classes. This is a fundamental part of the background knowledge we aim at providing to future pharmacists and, more in general, healthcare professionals.

For each drug class, therapeutic opportunities are described in details and linked to chemical structures.

Key molecules and detailed structure-activity relationships are discussed. When relevant, the incentives and the strategies that, from first-generation molecules, led to more advanced compounds are discussed.

Part 1

• Adrenergic Drugs
• Antisecretory Drugs
• Heart Medications
  • Heart Failure Drugs
  • Antiarithmic Drugs
  • Treatment of Angina Pectoris and Ischaemic Heart Disease
• Antihypertensive Drugs
• Diuretics
• Antithrombotic Agents
• Hypolipidemic agents

Part 2

• Drugs Acting on Nuclear Receptors
  • Estrogens
  • Progestinics
  • Androgens
• Treatment of Erectile Disfunction 
• Antihyperglycemic Agents

Part 3

Introduction to Antimicrobial Agents

• Antibiotics
  • Molecules Interfering with the Biosynthesis of the Cell Wall
  • Molecules Interfering with Protein Synthesis 
• Antibacterial Chemotherapy
• Antiviral Chemotherapy
• Antiprotozoal Agents 
• Antifungal Agents

Medicinal Chemistry I

Knowledge and Understanding: starting either from the structure of a compound or from the structure and a minimal set of notions, interpret and discuss activity, structure-activty relationship, elements of bioavailability and matabolism. Develop a detailed understanding of how, within a drug class, initial prototypes evolve into more advanced drugs

Applied Knowledge and Understanding: how the aforementioned general approach applies to specific drug classes. Notable examples will be discussed in details as case studies.  

Making Judgements: master the idea that drug development implies a constant trade-off between multiple, often conflicting, instances. This element is explained resorting to case studies

Communication Skills: master the correct terminology (standard of practise- or IUPAC-compliant) to correctly address structures and SARs 

Learning Skills: ideally, by the end of the module, the student should be able to apply the notions and the methods learned to molecules that, while belonging to drug classes they are familiar with, they have never seen before.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Revision sessions will be regularly organised during the course, with particular emphasis on understanding, elaborating on and mastering structure-activity relationships.

Teaching

Frontal Lessons

Attendance

Attendance is strongly encouraged yet not mandatory

Course books

For the exam:

• Slides and course work provided

Extra/For Consultation:

• Foye, Priciples of Medicinal Chemistry (any recent edition)
• Gasco, Chimica Farmaceutica, CEA (available in Italian only, to the best of my knowledge)
• Goodman & Gilman, The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (any recent edition)
• Clementi & Fumagalli, Farmacologia Generale e Molecolare, EDRA (available in Italian only, to the best of my knowledge)

Assessment

Written and oral exam

The final exam of this module has two parts: a written and an oral assessment. There are no differences in terms of contents or format. In both cases, the students will have to answer the equivalent of open frame questions, in writing in one case, orally in the other one. Combining a written assessment with an oral one makes it possible to test each student thoruoghly yet efficiently, considering the average size of each cohort and the remarkable breadth of this module's programme.

A 17/30 mark in the written test is necessary to be admitted to the oral assessment.

The mark obtained in the written exam is only valid for that specific round (appello).

Since the final mark is obtained averaging marks from both written and oral assessments, the oral exam is always mandatory, regardless of the mark obtained in the written part (i.e., even a very high mark in the written test does not guarantee to pass the overall exam neither does it allow the candidate to skip the oral exam) 

Midterm assessment (Parziale)

Please read very carefully.

Students attending for the first time Year 4 in AA 2022/23 (based on official records) are given a strictly one-time possibility to take a midterm written test in early November 2022 on Part 1 (see above) of the module's program.

Students obtaining a mark of 17/30 or better will have a one-time opportunity to be tested in one round (appello) of their choice during the winter exam session (January/February 2023), with questions in both the written and the oral assessments only convering Part 2 and Part 3 of the program. The final mark will be obtained averaging midterm, written and oral assessments.

Disabilità e DSA

Le studentesse e gli studenti che hanno registrato la certificazione di disabilità o la certificazione di DSA presso l'Ufficio Inclusione e diritto allo studio, possono chiedere di utilizzare le mappe concettuali (per parole chiave) durante la prova di esame.

A tal fine, è necessario inviare le mappe, due settimane prima dell’appello di esame, alla o al docente del corso, che ne verificherà la coerenza con le indicazioni delle linee guida di ateneo e potrà chiederne la modifica.

Teaching

No difference for non-attending students. Note: attendance is strongly encouraged