General Program Courses - Pharm D
PMC 501 - Medicinal Chemistry I (2+1)
This course is tailored to assist the students to gain the drugs affecting the
autonomic nervous system (ANS), drugs acting on the cardiovascular system
(CVS), CNS. The course handles different classes of antibiotics and antimicrobials
(natural and synthetic), beside other synthetic chemotherapeutic agents (including
antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics). Additionally, various anticancer
therapies, steroidal hormones and related drugs are also covered.
PMC 602 - Medicinal Chemistry II (2+1)
The course is tailored to assist the students to gain the drugs affecting
neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, endocrine-related drugs (Diabetes, thyroid
and calcium-regulating agents), antihistamines (H1, H2 blockers and anti-ulcer
PPIs), drugs controlling pain and inflammation (NSAIDs, local anaesthetics and
rheumatoid drugs) are also handled.
PMC 703 - Drug Design (1+1)
The prime objective of this course is to prepare the students for professional
practice by understanding the essentials of Medicinal Chemistry, and how the
drugs, biological and toxicological activities are strongly correlated to their
chemical structures (Structure-activity relationship; SAR), physicochemical
properties and metabolic pathways. Focusing on patient-directed clinical care, the
molecular aspects governing drugs’ pharmacokinetics (ADME),
pharmacodynamics, optimization of drug action, possible side effects, in addition
to understanding drug interactions are targeted. In terms of chemistry, SAR,
mechanism of action and side effects. The course is also designed to familiarize
the students with drug design and molecular modelling covering structure-based
and ligand-based drug design. This also includes the process of drug discovery and
development from target identification until approval of a new drug. Much
concern is given to lead structure identification, optimization and targeting certain
receptors and enzymes active sites. Additionally, the course addresses the study of
molecular docking, pharmacophore generation, and molecular modifications
including prodrug design, stereochemistry alterations, isosteric replacement, drug
metabolism and Quantitative Structure-activity relationship (QSAR).