Master in Medicinal and Biopharmaceutical Chemistry

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After completion of the course, for the classes of drugs taught in the UC, students will be expected to:

• have an understanding of the mechanism of action of selected agents in relation to molecular targets
• be aware that drug design and modifications in the chemical structure could result in altered or modified activities and mechanisms of action
• correlate the potency of the drugs and the type of interactions established with the molecular target;
• describe qualitatively the structure-activity relationships and discuss their significance in specific drug development processes.

The course is designed to cover the study of important classes of drugs (drugs affecting the cholinergic, adrenergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic and GABAergic systems);opioids; steroids; anti and pro-apoptotic agents; anti-infective agents( antivirals and antimalarial agents); neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's); bioconjugated drugs.

Emphasis will be placed on physical, chemical and biochemical properties of drug substances, the relationship between chemical structure and activity, and the molecular basis for drug-receptor interactions.

The Medicinal Chemistry topics are integrated with relevant topics of biochemistry, physiology,pharmaceutics, pharmacology and structural biology.

Exercises and case studies related with lecture topics are solved in tutorials.

Research papers will be critically analyzed and orally presented by students.