Topic outline

  • Course description

    This course provides the students with the theoretical knowledge and technical skills and introduce them to the structure and properties of pharmaceutical agents and metabolites. The course outlines the structure, bonding and chemical reactivity of various important classes of organic molecules, ranging from simpler examples of hydrocarbons or those containing a single functional group, to some of the important biological molecules such as carbohydrates, nucleic acids and proteins. Topics include basic concepts in medicinal chemistry: 1) the drug discovery and development process, 2) review of organic functional groups found in drug molecules, 3) drug-target interactions, 4) physicochemical properties related to drug action such as acid-base properties, equilibrium, and stereochemistry, 5) Effect of chemical structure on the metabolism of drug molecules.
  • Pharmaceutical Chemistry A.A. 2021/2022

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    Teacher: Prof Giovanna Poce
    Type: Semester
    Type: Specialistic with practical sessions
    Year: 2° year
    Credits: 6 ECFS
    SSD: CHIM/08 - medicinal chemistry
    Period: Second Semester
    Academic Year: 2023-2024
    Meeting Time: everyday through reservation via email to giovanna.poce@uniroma1.it
    Starts: 5th of March 2024
    Lectures Hours: Tuesday 14.00-16.00, Thursday 14.00-17.00
    Lecture roomPsicologia I, Fisiologia Generale e Antropologia Farmacia e Medicina (CU026, E01PS1L084)


  • General information

    Form of instruction

    •The teaching takes the form of lectures, videos, group exercises and flipped-classroom.


    Examination modes

    The knowledge of the students is tested through written examinations.


    Examination dates:

    -17/01/2024
    -20/02/2024
    - 26/03/2024
    - 07/05/2024
    - 18/06/2024
    - 16/07/2024
    - 10/09/2024
    - 04/11/2024
    - 21/01/2025


  • Syllabus

    This course will cover the following topics, which will be also discussed through case studies and evaluation of scientific publications, focusing on research methodology.  

    - Chemical aspects of drug metabolism: introduction, effects of chemical structure on Phase I oxidative, reductive, and hydrolytic reactions, effects of chemical structure on phase II conjugative reactions (COMT and PNMT-catalyzed methylation, acetylation, sulfation, glucuronidation, amino acid conjugation, mercapturic acid formation), sites of metabolism, metabolic pathways of selected common drugs.

    - Hit identification: overview of the drug discovery process; target-based, systems-based and chemocentric drug discovery; de novo drug design vs screening (virtual screening, random screening, high throughput screening); guiding principles and challenges in target-based and phenotypic drug discovery; chemical probes; compound sources for chemical libraries and focused compound collections; fragment-based drug discovery (principles, fragment-based screening, fragment elaboration, fragment-based approved drugs); drug repositioning (principles and challenges, case studies); biological products; innovative chemical modalities for challenging targets: undruggable targets and multispecific drugs (sequentially obligate multispecific drugs, matchmakers, PROTAC). Hit triage and prioritization: physicochemical and substructure filters; PAINS.

    - Hit-to-lead development: challenges and objectives; multiparameter optimization; structure-activity relationship; bioisosterism and non-classical isosteres; SAR studies, structure modification strategies and application rules for hit expansion.

    - Lead optimization: progression criteria and drug candidate parameters; lead optimization screening plan; main strategies to increase drug-likeness; case studies. 

  • Slides

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      L 1 File
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      L 2 File
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      L3 File
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      Practical lesson 1 File
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      Practical lesson 2 File
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      L4 File
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      Practical lesson 3 File
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      L 5 File
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      L 6 File
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      L 7 File
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      L 8 File
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      Practical lesson 4 ppt File
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      Practical lesson 4 File
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      Practical lesson 5 File
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      L_9 File
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      Exam example solutions File
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      Exam example File
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      Seminars Folder
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      Summary File
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