U1 L2, L3 Drug Design & Stereochemistry Flashcards
What fraction of drug candidates prepared in a research lab actually gain a licence?
1/5000
What is meant by the term ‘novel molecule’ ?
A molecule previously unknown
What is meant by the term ‘lead compound’?
A chemical compound that shows promise as a treatment for disease and may lead to the development of a new drug
What are chemical drugs?
What is their approximate molecular weight?
What are they called when discovered?
Range from simple inorganic salts to complex organic molecules
Often referred to as ‘small molecules’ - molecular weight of <500
‘New Chemical Entity’, NCE
What are Biological Drugs?
What are they referred to when discovered?
AKA large molecule drugs e.g. proteins such as peptides or antibodies
‘New Biological Entity’, NBE
What are New Molecular Entities?
What newly discovered chemical and biological drugs are referred to when considered together
What is the average cost of bringing a new drug to the market?
£1.2 billion
Why are patents essential for drug development?
How long do patents last?
- give exclusive financial rights to inventors
- protect investment
- last 20 years
What is the normal minimum time it takes for a drug to go from discovery to licence?
15 years
How much does a ‘blockbuster drug’ earn per annum?
$1 billion +
What fraction of drugs that reach clinical trials fail them?
6/7
How long does the entire process of clinical trials generally take?
6 years
When in the drug development process should the drug be patented?
During discovery
Why do small molecule lead compounds often require optimisation?
Often do not have suitable properties to be used clinically
What is the FDA?
US Food & Drug Administration
In 2023, how many new drugs were approved by the FDA?
55
What sorts of conditions did the drug approvals made in 2023 focus on?
- infectious diseases e.g. COVID-19, pneumonia
- opioid use, abuse
- heart, blood, kidney, endocrine diseases
- lung diseases
- GI conditions
How many of the 55 drugs approved by the FDA in 2023 were first approved by the US to go on to be approved in other countries?
35
What are First-In-Class drugs?
How many of the 55 drugs approved by the FDA in 2023 were First-In-Class?
Drugs that have different mechanisms of action from existing therapies
20/55
What is the definition of a ‘natural product’ ?
Any discrete compound produced by a living organism
What percentage of the 877 small molecule NCEs introduced as drugs between 1981 and 2002 can be attributed to natural products?
61%
What is Paclitaxel used to treat?
Where is Paclitaxel isolated from?
Breast and ovarian cancer
From the bark of yew tree
What is Digoxin used to treat?
Where is it isolated from?
Heart failure, arrhythmias
Leaves of foxglove
What is Acetyl salicylic acid AKA?
Aspirin
What is the active ingredient in aspirin?
What is this a derivative of?
Salicin
Glucose derivative
Close derivatives of Artemisinin e.g. Artemether are currently licensed worldwide for what?
Malaria
Why is analogue synthesis of biochemicals and natural ligands from the body required to make a drug-like compound even though they can make good lead compounds anyway?
Natural ligand may
- have undesirable duration of action
- be excreted or metabolised too quickly
- may be chemically unstable
What does changing the structure of a compound allow for?
SAR - structure activity relationships
Why must analogues retain core structures?
To allow binding to the biological target
What is Salbutamol an analogue of?
Adrenaline
What is Methotrexate used for?
Anti-proliferative drug that blocks the effects of folic acid
Where did the first totally synthetic derived drugs originate from?
What are some examples of this?
British dye industry
Azo dyes - noted for antibacterial properties e.g. Phenazopyridine marketed as urinary antiseptic