Drug Discovery: A Step-by-Step Introduction

Drug discovery is a compelling mixture of established science and new, cutting-edge developments. It is powered by the know-how of its stakeholders and a long history which provide us with guidance on the scientific path for a successful project. The disciplines required include Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Informatics (and their sub-disciplines) with the support of major infrastructure and extensive non-scientific functions (Management, Financial, Commercial, Legal etc). All involved must work in harmony over a long timescale to successfully reach the final goal. This course has been designed to steer you through the process and focuses on small molecule drug discovery, making some reference to biologics.

Each company carries out drug discovery in a unique manner and the process continually evolves; however, there is a ‘Classical Model’ that is often followed and will be presented here. The programme describes how the project begins by selecting the disease to be treated, and then identifying a protein target whose modulation by a compound or biologic will have the required therapeutic effect based on the molecular mechanism of the disease.  A large number of compounds or biologics are then generated and iteratively optimised for a wide range of key chemical, physical and biological attributes based on past experience.  A lead (or lead series) of compounds is eventually selected which is further optimised to generate the clinical candidate. The science base and phasing of these activities will be covered together with the realities of the Pharma - Biotech environment in which they occur.

This is an excellent opportunity to engage with the drug discovery process and the elements involved with an expert in this field. The course will include a number of interactive exercises to aid the learning experience.