Catalogo dei Corsi di studio

The Medicinal Chemistry modules faces the pharmaceutical
aspects that are the fondamental for the drug actions, the structure activity
realtionshiups and the rational drug design. Practical sections are also used
to demonstrate the uses of the computer in medicinal chemistry.The aim of
this course is to give detailed informations on dosage forms and in particular
will discuss problems about preparation and formulation of conventional dosage
forms referring to their
biotechnological applications.

Programme

Pharmaceutical chemistry and drugs; drug discovery and experimentation, phases I, II, III and pharmacovigilance.
The discovery of new drugs: random discovery, copying of pre-existing drugs, systematic and targeted screening, from natural substances (artemisinin, taxol), amplification of side effects (sildenafil), identification of metabolites of known drugs.
Medicines and their properties. Classification of drugs, names of drugs, routes of drug administration. Notes on the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs. Outline of phase 1 and phase 2 metabolism.
Topical anti-infective drugs and organic and inorganic drugs: Chlorine and derivatives, Iodine and derivatives; Hydrogen peroxide, boric acid, potassium and derivatives, silver and mercury in pharmaceutical preparations and devices; aluminum and magnesium in pharmaceutical preparations; ethanol use and toxicity.
Biotechnological drugs; generality; ways of obtaining biotech drugs; RDNA biotechnologies; restriction endonucleases and their nomenclature; DNA ligases; vectors for the cloning of exogenous DNA: plasimides and phages. Protein production in prokaryotic cell cultures. Biotechnological drugs: classification: therapeutic proteins with regulatory or enzymatic activity (insulin, calcitonin, octreotide, erythropoietin, tissue plasminogen activator) therapeutic proteins that confer new functions and activities (DNAase I); therapeutic proteins aimed at specific targets: monoclonal antibodies; murine, chimeric, humanized and human antibodies; examples; cetuximab, enfuvirtide. Protein vaccines: gardasil and cervarix; nomenclature of monoclonal antibodies. Examples of clinical use of biotechnological drugs: drugs for oncology, for the immune system, for the cardiovascular system, for the endocrine system, for the respiratory system.
Radiopharmaceuticals: nuclear medicine and radioactivity; diagnostic imaging techniques, in vitro and therapeutic techniques. Radioactivity and radioactive decay methods, origin of radiation (α decay; β- decay, β + decay, electron capture); the rate of decay.
Radiopharmaceutical preparations; properties and classification of tracer radiopharmaceuticals; systems for the production of radionuclides for medical use; cyclotron, nuclear reactor, generator.
Radiation damage, radiation protection, diagnostic imaging damage risk; the gamma camera. Magnetic resonance imaging, contrast media.
Iodine radiopharmaceuticals: iodine -123; iodine-131 and their preparations;
Technetium-based radiopharmaceuticals: technetium bicisate, technetium medronate;
Radiopharmaceuticals based on Fluorine-18: 18F-FDG.
Quality control of radiopharmaceuticals; diagnostic reference levels (LDR)
Laxative drugs; irritating laxatives (castor oil); anthraquinone drugs (senna, cascara, aloe, frangula, rhubarb); synthetic irritant purgatives (bisacodyl); agents that increase fecal mass. Use of laxatives.
Prodrugs and bioprecursors; types of prodrugs: carrier pro drug: dual, three-component, prodrug mortgages and related examples; enzymatic prodrugs such as ADEPT.

Adopted texts

Introduzione alla Chimica farmaceutica – Graham L. Patrich – Ed Edises
Chimica farmaceutica – Gasco, Gualtieri, Melchiorre – casa Ed. Ambrosiana
Foye – Principi di Chimica Farmaceutica - Piccin

Prerequisites

The course of Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry is at the 3rd year of the Pharmacy course and is an optional course chosen by the student who is interested in the subjects of the degree course such as Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacology. In order to easily follow the teaching requires knowledge of knowledge of pharmaceutical chemistry and notions of pharmacology.

Exam modes

Students are assessed mainly through an oral test in which the learning of the subject and the mastery that the student has acquired will be verified.