Recent changes in Food and Drug Administration and health insurance policies have also placed a larger burden on consumers in deciding which drugs to take, and in paying for the medication. This course focuses on understanding, at a biochemical level, how several drugs work their curative magic as well as how they may lead to undesired side effects. This course examines the processes through which drugs are discovered or created and how they are then brought to consumers. Topics will range from the discovery of aspirin and the effect of World War II on the discovery of cheap treatments for malaria to advances in protease inhibitors and combination therapies which have dramatically extended the lives of AIDS patients. A major goal of the course is understanding the connections between basic research, biotechnology companies, multinational pharmaceutical firms, patent attorneys, regulatory agencies, doctors, and insurers, and the path eventually leading to the availability of a given drug.
Evaluation is based on quizzes, a paper, class participation, and a final paper.
This course is designed for students with little or no science background, who do not necessarily intend to pursue a career in the natural sciences. Basic principles in organic chemistry and biochemistry will be developed as needed.