This course is designed to give clinicians and researchers from the life, chemical and physical sciences a broad overview of the concepts, strategies and research techniques used in drug discovery and delivery. Basic understanding of molecular structures would be an advantage but is not required and you should not need prior knowledge of the models and techniques covered in the course.

The objective for postgraduate teaching is to give students an overview and illustration of how the interaction of a drug target (generally a protein) with a small molecule or a macromolecule can be optimised (in silico or in vitro) to develop a pharmaceutical or bio-pharmaceutical agent. Besides the optimisation of the affinity and selectivity of these drug candidates for the therapeutic target, other key issues to be considered at the drug discovery & development stages, such as absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) properties, protection of the intellectual property and regulatory affairs will also be introduced. Many promising and highly active new drugs never go beyond the laboratory because of problems associated with their formulation and delivery. A series of drug delivery lectures will highlight the impact of drug structure and design on a molecule’s pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical properties and ultimately on its’ pharmaceutical development into a final product. Specific lectures will cover the challenges associated with the delivery of macromolecules.

We recommend that postgraduate students attend the whole course (DMMC Course Attendance Certificates are only provided for complete attendance). 

Day 1: Thu 17 Apr; 0930-1300