Medicinal products are developed from nature and may offer therapeutic benefit. Many of these products are derived from plants (eg aspirin from the bark of the willow tree). Others are extracted from marine animals (eg anti-cancer statins from molluscs) and drugs such as the antibiotic penicillin, that have fungal origins.
This day school is designed to provide an understanding and insight into how medicinal products are discovered and developed into approved pharmaceutical agents for human use.
We will first have an introduction on natural products with a look at a historical background of how natural products were used across various civilisations. After discussing the complexities and limitations surrounding modern drug discovery process, we will then explore how natural medicines are developed. For example, the analgesic, morphine extracted from opium poppies and the anti-cancer agent paclitaxel derived from the pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia).
The learner will be able to evaluate the safety, ethical and regulatory issues of these agents with the advancement of innovative emerging technologies.
Please note: this event will close to enrolments at 23:59 GMT on 19 March 2025.