4.3.1.9 Discovery and development of drugs Flashcards
1
Q
From what plant did aspirin come from?
A
- willow
- painkiller
- lowers fever
2
Q
From what plant did digitalis come from?
A
- foxgloves
- treats heart conditions
3
Q
What did Alexander Fleming discover in 1928?
A
- penicillin
- antibiotic
- was clearing out petri dishes with bacteria on them and noticed one had mould, area around mould was clear of bacteria
- mould called Penicillium mould
4
Q
What are the three main stages in drug testing?
A
- preclinical trials
- animal trials
- human clinical trials
5
Q
What happens in preclinical trials?
A
- drugs are tested on human cells and tissues in the lab
- you can’t use human cells and tissues to test drugs that affect the whole body or multiple systems
6
Q
What happens in animal trials?
A
- tested on live animals
- used to check efficacy, toxicity and dosage
- must be tested on two types of live mammals
7
Q
What is efficacy?
A
- whether the drug works and produces desired effects
8
Q
What is toxicity?
A
- how harmful it is
9
Q
What is dosage?
A
- concentration that should be given and how often
10
Q
What happens in human clinical trials?
A
- tested on healthy volunteers to make sure there are no harmful effects on functioning body
- very low dose is given then slowly increases
- if results positive on healthy volunteers, it is then tested on those suffering from the illness with optimum dose
- double blind trial occurs, one is given placebo to see actual difference drug makes
- results aren’t published until they’ve been through peer review to not have any false claim
