Development of Medicines Flashcards
All 10 cards in this deck
Why can antibiotics be used to treat bacterial infections?
They inhibit processes in bacteria, so the bacteria are killed or stop growing/reproducing, but they do not damage the host cells.
Give one example of a bacterial cell process that an antibiotic can inhibit.
Making the bacterial cell wall (cell wall synthesis).
True or false? Antibiotics can be used to treat influenza and HIV.
False. Antibiotics only work on bacteria; influenza and HIV are caused by viruses, which do not have the cell processes antibiotics target.
Why can chlamydia be treated with antibiotics?
Chlamydia is caused by bacteria, which are killed/inhibited by antibiotics.
What are the four stages of developing a new medicine, in order?
- Discovery
- Development
- Preclinical testing
- Clinical testing
What happens during preclinical testing of a new medicine?
The drug is tested in vitro on cultured cells/tissues and then on animals.
What happens during clinical testing of a new medicine?
The drug is tested on human volunteers: first healthy volunteers, then patients with the disease, to check it is safe and works.
A new antibiotic has just been discovered. What happens during the development stage that follows discovery?
The drug is refined — e.g. working out the dosage, how to give it (tablet or injection) and how to make it in large amounts.
Why is a new medicine tested on cultured cells and animals before it is given to humans?
To check it is safe (not toxic) and that it works, before risking harm to people.
True or false? Most substances discovered in the laboratory go on to become licensed medicines.
False. Most fail during testing because they are unsafe or ineffective, which is one reason development takes many years.