Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry
Definition of medicinal chemistry
General concepts in medicinal chemistry
Fields that interface with medicinal chemistry
What are drugs and why do we need new ones?

Drugs: An Overview
Natural Products in Drug Discovery and Development
Secondary Metabolites
Synthetic Chemistry
In silico drug discovery

Role of Chemistry in Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Phase
Introduction to the drug action
Pharmacokinetic phase (ADME)
Pharmacodynamic phase

Physicochemical Parameters in Relation to Biological Activity
Introduction
Physical Properties
Features Governing Drug Action in Active Site
Structurally Specific Drugs
Structurally Non-Specific Drugs
Factors Governing Ability of Drugs to Reach Active Site
Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion

Stereochemistry in Drug Activity
Stereochemistry and Drug Action
Stereochemistry and Biological Activity
Isosterism and Bio-Isosterism

Chemistry of Drug Metabolism
General pathways of drug metabolism and sites of drug biotransformation
Role of Cytochrome P-450 Monooxygenases in oxidative biotransformation
Phase I Metabolism
Phase II Metabolism
Factors Affecting Drug Metabolism
Pharmacokinetics of metabolites
Drug metabolism and drug design

Drug Targets
Proteins, Enzymes, and Nucleic Acids as Drug Targets
Receptors: Structure, Function and Signal Transduction Role of the receptor

Q1 : Does this course require any particular background knowledge?
A1 : An understanding of basic organic chemistry is needed, as well as an enthusiasm to learn!

Q2 : In what language will the course be taught?
A2 : The course will be taught fully in English.