Week 12/12B - Drug Research

Question 1

What is a drug?

Answer 1

Substance that is absorbed into living organism and alters normal bodily function

Question 2

What are the 5 traits of a good medical drug?

Answer 2

1 - Effective
2 - Safe 
3 - Absorbed into the body
4 - Get properly distributed
5 - Removed from the body

Question 3

How do drugs typically work?

Answer 3

Inhibiting or activating proteins

Question 4

Explain the process of how a drug is made and how long it takes overall.

Answer 4

1 - Discovery
2 - Lab/Animal Testing
3 - Phase 1 - Small group of healthy volunteers to check safety
4 - Phase 2 - Larger group of patient volunteers to check for efficacy/side efffects
5 - Phase 3 - Large group of patient volunteers to check long-run drug use
6 - FDA review/approval
7 - Postmarketing testing

Total - 16 years

Question 5

What are the steps in the discovery phase of developing a drug?

Answer 5

1 - Basic scientific research
2 - Target identification
3 - Assay development
4 - Screening
5 - Optimization

Question 6

How does assay development work?

Answer 6

1 - Add proteins you want to be affected to wells of an assay
2 - Add compounds to each well
3 - Look for protein activity

Question 7

What is GLP?

Answer 7

Good Laboratory Practices

Question 8

What is Pharmacodynamics?

Answer 8

Studying the effect of the potential drug on animal bodies to determine dosage

Question 9

What is ADME?

Answer 9

Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion

Question 10

What is a failed drug that has been repurposed?

Answer 10

Viagra

Question 11

What is herbalism?

Answer 11

Traditional/Folk medicine based on plant/plant extracts