Was taught in Spring 2004 (as SC486H) and Spring 2009 (syllabus)
How do certain small molecules interact with the human body to cause a physiological effect? How do we design molecules to treat disease? First we will get a foundation in how drugs work and how they are discovered. We will then explore various drugs, focusing mainly on those for infectious disease and/or with military significance, including counter-fatigue, malaria and HIV-AIDS. Experiments will include preparation of drug-like molecules by solid phase synthesis and the assay of antibacterial compounds in-house.
Useful Textbooks
Thomas, Gareth; Medicinal Chemistry: an Introduction, Wiley, 2007, ISBN 978 0 470 02598 7. If you wish to buy one book, this would be the one I would suggest.
Brunton, Laurence, Lazo, John, Parker, Keith; Goodman And Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, McGrawHill ISBN 0071422803. The most authoritative single volume available.
Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry, Academic Press. Contain authoritative reports on the status of selected therapeutic areas. Excellent and very readable.
Thomas, Gareth; Fundamentals of Medicinal Chemistry, Wiley, 2003, ISBN 0 470 84307 1. A more basic version of the Thomas work above.
Patrick, Graham. L.; An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, Oxford, 2001, ISBN 0 19 850533 7. Another great introduction.
Williams, David and Lemke, Thomas; Foye’s Principles of Medicinal Chemistry, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2002, ISBN 0 683 30737 1.
Clayden, Greeves, Warren and Wothers, Organic Chemistry, Oxford, 2001, ISBN 0 19 850346 6. Sections on aspects of organic chemistry typically not covered in SC225/6 which are critical for drug development.
Key Journals
Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters.
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.