A detailed study of the principles of drug transport, distribution, biotransformation, binding and excretion, with emphasis on quantitative aspects and measurement of these processes. Topics include targets of biologically active molecules, approaches to studying ligand and target interactions, overview of drug discovery, agents acting on specific targets, combinatorial chemistry, computation chemistry, and structure-activity relationships. It is a logical extension of PHAR 701 with a primary focus on disperse heterogeneous systems. The design or formulation of a dosage form involves the resolution of a particular set of problems. Pharmaceutical scientists in the industry involved with these activities must bring to each situation the basic skills necessary to address the set of problems.
Students experience resolving problems in terms of basic principles.
Topics include colloids, rheology, surface chemistry, emulsions, suspensions, complexation, and distribution phenomena. Students examine an issue of pharmaceutical importance through readings, discussions, and limited investigations. The student and instructor decide the research problem and amount of credit before the start of the study. A permission slip from the program director or instructor is necessary to enroll in this course.