B6f Drug development

Question 1

Give an example of an antibiotic

Answer 1

Penicillin

Question 2

Which type of pathogen can be killed by antibiotics

Answer 2

Bacteria only

Question 3

How do antibiotics treat disease?

Answer 3

Kills bacteria inside the body

Question 4

Can antibiotics be used to kill viruses?

Answer 4

No

Question 5

Name two diseases that can be treated using antibiotics

Answer 5

Salmonella
Gonorrhoea

Question 6

Why must you finish an course of antibiotics?

Answer 6

Reduces the number of resistant strains of bacteria

Question 7

Do painkillers destroy pathogens?

Answer 7

No

Question 8

What do painkillers do?

Answer 8

Treat symptoms ie reduce pain

Question 9

What is the drug digitalis used to treat?

Answer 9

Irregular heart beat

Question 10

Why is it difficult to develop drugs that kill viruses?

Answer 10

Viruses live inside human cells
The drug will also damage human cells

Question 11

What plant is the heart drug digitalis extracted from?

Answer 11

Foxgloves

Question 12

What painkiller originates from a chemical found in willow bark?

Answer 12

Aspirin

Question 13

Who discovered the drug penicillin?

Answer 13

Alexander Fleming

Question 14

Name the organism that makes penicillin

Answer 14

Penicillium mould (fungus)

Question 15

How are most new drugs made?

Answer 15

By chemists in the pharmaceutical industry

Question 16

Name the two stages used in testing potential new medicines

Answer 16

Pre-clinical and clinal testing

Question 17

Why must new drugs be tested and trialled before being used?

Answer 17

Check they are safe and effective

Question 18

In drug development what are new drugs tested for?

Answer 18

Toxicity
Efficacy
Dose

Question 19

On what and where is pre-clinical testing is done?

Answer 19

In the lab
Initially on cells and tissues
Animal testing

Question 20

A small group of healthy individuals are used for initial clinical trials.

Why?

Answer 20

If there is a problem with the drug.

Only a small number of people will be effected/

Checking that drug is safe to use

Question 21

Why are low doses of drug used in initial clinical trials?

Answer 21

Drug might cause significant damage to organs in the body.
Reduces the amount of damage caused

Question 22

Why are patients used in clinical trials?

Answer 22

Test whether drug works (efficacy)

Question 23

What is a double blind test?

Answer 23

Neither the doctor nor patient know whether they been taking the placebo or active drug

Question 24

Why are double blind tests used?

Answer 24

Prevent bias
Prevent placebo effect

Question 25

What is a placebo?

Answer 25

A tablet/injection that does not contain the active drug

Question 26

If an antibiotic is used too much, what might happen to the bacteria?

Answer 26

Bacteria become resistant to the antibiotic
Antibiotic no longer works

Question 27

How is clinical testing carried out?

Answer 27

1. Healthy volunteers test low doses to check it is safe
2. Tested on a large scale to find the optimum dose
3. Tested on patients to check it works using a double blind test