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This module will build upon the pharmacokinetic principles of ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination) and bioavailability (F) to allow you to appraise how different medicine design affects these parameters.

The way different formulation additives, route of administration and release kinetics (immediate, sustained and targeted release) can impact not only on the pharmacokinetic profile of a drug, but also the doses and the dosing regimen used will be critically evaluated. Factors influencing the rate and extent of drug absorption, which include food-drug interactions, will be explored.

The use of key analytical and bioanalytical techniques to assess drug concentration within the body and its application in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and dose adjustment will be critically reviewed and contextualized in the contemporary drug development process. You will learn how to interpret different representations of data such as plasma concentration time curves and urinary drug excretion curves.
You will also gain a commercial awareness of medicine manufacture processes (e.g. coatings) and the value of elements such as tablet size, colour and packaging. The biologics market, where medicines are manufactured using recombinant DNA technology, will also be tackled.

In the labs you will learn about experimental design, preformulation tests such as Log P (Partition coefficient) determination and use of instrumental analytical techniques such as UV/VIS assays in preformulation testing. In the labs you will also be required to maintain a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) compliant lab book.

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: Interpret and evaluate a wide range of different forms of pharmacological & graphical data to assess the relationship between pharmacology & pharmaceutics.

LO2: Discriminate between and critically appraise the impact of different formulations of a medicine on the central pharmacokinetic parameters (ADME).

LO3: Critically review the value, applications and limitations of key analytical & bioanalytical techniques in therapeutic drug monitoring.

LO4: Demonstrate a critical awareness of the medicine manufacturing process and the contemporary developments in pre-formulation & formulation studies.