Hit to Lead Drug Discovery

Module code: CH3211

This module will introduce you to advanced principles and theories behind the study of drugs, their discovery, delivery, absorption, metabolism, and more. This will build upon your knowledge of its core principles gained during your previous two years of study at Leicester.

You'll take a closer look at the factors considered when deciding on possible synthetic routes to pharmaceutical molecules, such as safety, reaction scale, purification, cost and availability of reagents, market value and quality control. You'll also learn about the process of drug discovery, development and determining the mode of action of a drug. You'll examine protein structures and how to determine them, as well as solid phase synthesis of peptides. You'll explore how physiochemical properties of drugs can determine their activity and stability, and the chemistry used to alter them. Plus, you'll learn about combinatorial chemistry (including dynamic methods) and its use for the synthesis of target molecules.