Essentials of Drug Discovery, Design, and Development

This free online pharmacology course explores the concepts important to creating a new drug. We begin with an outline of the pharmaceutical industry and its protocols. This includes analysis of drug discovery and the process of finding its lead compound. We then move on to drug design and investigate ideas like pharmacodynamics optimization, pharmacokinetics and synthesis optimization, all while prioritizing safety and stability. We also map out the path from lab to market to help you make your drug a commercial reality.

This course covers the definitions, aims and history of drug discovery, design and development. We then demonstrate how to select a suitable disease, target and bioassay before showing you how to improve your lead compounds and facilitate your drug’s synthesis. The course examines a case study that employs drug design strategies. We then train you to hold preclinical and clinical trials before conducting toxicological, metabolic and stability studies. This includes attention to drug safety rules and techniques designed to maximize efficiency. We also familiarize you with various patenting and legal issues.

This course is for anyone looking to break into the fascinating world of medicine and drugs. We take you through each step in the process of introducing a new narcotic to the market and this class will interest students and researchers looking to expand their portfolios.