(DON'T NEED)Discovery and development of drugs

Question 1

How were the traditional drugs made?

Answer 1

They were extracted from the natural surroundings. Mould contributed to penicillin, foxgloves contributed to heart drug, willow bark contributed to aspirin (painkiller).

Question 2

What things might you test for when testing drugs?

Answer 2

Toxicity
Efficiency
Dosage
Age requirements
With what (water)
Will it cure me?
Is it addictive
Side effects

Question 3

What are pre-clinical trials?

Answer 3

• The drugs are tested using computer models and human cells grown in labs. Many substances fail the test because they damage the cells or do not work.
• The drugs are then tested on animals, a specific dosage is given first then the animal is monitored for any side effects.

Question 4

What are clinical trials?

Answer 4

• Drugs are tested on healthy volunteers to check for safety.
• Then they are tested on ill people to find the best dose for optimum efficiency.

Question 5

What is a placebo?

Answer 5

A fake version of the drug that looks exactly like the drug but doesn’t do anything (it is used as a control).

Question 6

What is blind testing?

Answer 6

It’s when the patient doesn’t know if the drug that they are taking is real or a placebo, only the doctor knows.

Question 7

What is double blind testing?

Answer 7

This is when neither the patient nor the doctor knows what they are getting (a placebo or a drug). This makes sure that all bias is eliminated and the test is fair. All conditions for the patient are kept the same so only the drug is impacting the health of the patient.

Question 8

What term is used to describe whether the drug works or not?

Answer 8

Efficacy