testing medicines

Question 1

where were most drugs in the past often extracted from?

Answer 1

plants
microorganisms

the plant foxglove was used to extract the heart drug digitalis

the painkiller aspirin was extracted from willow trees

the scientist alexander fleming discovered penicillin in the mould penecillium

Question 2

these days, where are most new drugs from?

Answer 2

most drugs are synthesised by chemists working pharmaceutical companies.
But the starting point is still often a chemical extracted from a plant

Question 3

how are all new drugs tested and trialed

Answer 3

first we need to check the toxicity of the drug (whether it’s safe for humans)

we then check if the drug is effective(if it retreats the disease were looking at)

we need to work out the best dose of the drug

Question 4

who is preclinical testing carried out on

Answer 4

cells, tissue, on live animals

preclinical testing is NOT carried out on humans because the drug could be extremely toxic

Question 5

what is after preclinical testing

Answer 5

clinical testing where it is carried out on humans

Question 6

who is clinical testing carried out on?

Answer 6

humans

Question 7

explain the stages of clinical testing.

Answer 7

in the first stage, very low doses of the drug are given to healthy volunteers
this is to check if the drug is safe on humans

if the drug is found to be safe then clinical testing. continues to find the optimal dose(the best dose to treat the disease with the fewest side effects)

then the placebo

Question 8

what is a placebo

Answer 8

a tablet or injection with no active drug in it

Question 9

explain the efffects of a placebo

Answer 9

some patients will get better if given a placebo because they think they’re being treated so they believe that they’re going to get better
most drug tests are double blind

Question 10

what is a double blind trial

Answer 10

in a double blind trial, neither the patients not the doctors know which people are receiving the active drug and which are receiving the placebo to stop bias

the test group receives the active drug
the placebo group receive a dummy drug which looks exactly like the test drug but has no active ingredient

Question 11

what is the ping of a double blind trial

Answer 11

to stop bias incase the doctors play close attention to people receiving the active drug