L3: Drug Discovery and Development Flashcards
Give an overview of Arecoline.
- Natrual alkaloid
- Acetylcholine agonist
- Comes from betele palm nut
- Used for getting tape worms out of dogs
- Causes intense smooth muscle contractions to dislodge tapeworms
- Also chewed by humans as a stimulant (natrual high)
How did penicillin originate?
Romans would place mouldy bread on patient wounds.
Give an overview of Curare.
- Extracted from a vine
- Paralysing poison used by South American Indians
- Relaxation of breathing muscles - leads to asphyxiation
- If you can keep an animal breathing it will not die
- Effective in tetanus and strychnine poisoning
Can you eat an animal that has been killed with curare?
Yes - the molecule is too big to cross the gut mucosa
Give an overview of heroin.
- Made from opium which is produced from poppies
- Converted to morphine (a powerful analgesic)
When was morphine first made synthetically?
1874
Give an overview of Ivermectin.
- Dewormer
- Kills roundworms
- A fungi that was discovered in a golf bunker that contained high concentrations of macrocydic lactone
- Initially developed to treat African River Blindness
What is Praziquantel used for?
- Tapeworms in dogs, cats, and livestock
- Treatment of neural cystiverosis in humans (pork tapeworm)
- Not effective against roundworms
- Low toxicity
- Mode of action not known
How and when was Praziquantel developed?
Mid 1970s
The molecule was built.
What are the factors to consider with natrual health remedies?
- what is in it?
- what is the active?
- how much active is present?
- how much active is therapeutic
- how much active is dangerous
- how to maintain standard active concentration
- efficancy trial data
- shelf life
- data showing product doesnt cause harm
What is involved in Phase I of a new product assessment?
- Studies with small groups of experimental animals to assess safety, tolerability, and pharmacodynamics.
- High levels of monitoring, measuring, observation, and vet input.
- Meticulous, copious record taking
What is involved in Phase II of a new product assessment?
- Assessent of how well the drug works
- Use of larger group of animals
- Experimental and control groups are sex, age, and weight matched
- Studies are randomised, blinded, and may have placebo controled.
What is involved in Phase III of a new product assessment?
- Assess effectiveness of the drug
- Large field trials often including hundreds to thousands of experimental subjects
- Multicentre trials (in different countries or areas)
- Registration, production, sale, distribution
What is involved in Phase IV of a new product assessment?
- Post marketing survelliance
- Ongoing safety moniotoring
- Reporting of any adverse reactions
Where do vets report adverse reactions of a new drug to?
To the company
Company report to APVMA (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority)
