MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY (MPCH)

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

The programme is aimed at producing graduates who wish to tailor their expertise towards employment, research and innovation in the pharmaceutical and health sciences industries/institutes. The program includes the study of drugs and drug development and other disciplines like concepts and processes of drug discovery, delivery, absorption and metabolism. It also prepares graduates for further studies and research. 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor of Science in Chemical or Biological Sciences or related field from any university recognized by Midlands State University.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND FURTHER EDUCATION

After completing the programme graduates are open to the following opportunities:-

– in pharmaceutical or any health products industry as technical business analysts, production managers (supervisors), product development pharmaceutical chemists/managers, quality controllers, quality assurance managers

– as chemists in pharmaceutical or health products industries 

–in research and development departments in industry and research institutes 

–venturing into entrepreneurship for drug discovery, development and synthesis

–pursue PhD in Chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences and other relevant related areas    

 

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

N.B.     *Denotes core modules which are not Minimum Body of Knowledge and Skills

          **Denotes core modules which are Minimum Body of Knowledge and Skills

 

Level 1 Semester 1

Code	Module Description	Credits
**MPCH 801 *MPCH 802 **MPCH 803 **MPCH 804 **MPCH 805	Quantitative Analytical Methods Biochemistry Advanced Organic Chemistry Pharmacology Modern Analytical Techniques I	18 18 18 18 18

Level 1 Semester 2

Code	Module Description	Prerequisite	Credits
**MPCH 806 **MPCH 807 **MPCH 808 *MPCH 809 **MPCH 810	Physical Pharmacy and Biopharmaceutics Chemistry of Natural Products Modern Analytical Techniques II Laboratory Management and Research Methods Drug Design	*MMCH 805	18 18 18 18 18

 

Level 2 Semester 1 

Code	Module Description	Credits
*MMCH 901 **MPCH 902 *MPCH 903 **MPCH 904 **MPCH 905	Chemotherapeutic agents Pharmacodynamic agents Pharmaceutical Quality and Regulation Drug Delivery System and Biopharmaceutics Laboratory Practical	18 18 18 18 18

 

Level 2 Semester 2 

Code	Module Description	Credits
**MPCH 906	Dissertation	90

 

SYNOPSES

MPCH 801 Quantitative Analytical Methods

General: Computation of analytical results, significant figures, concept of error, precision and accuracy, standard deviation, rejection of doubtful values with special reference to volumetric and gravimetric analysis, calibration of analytical equipment. Fundamental of volumetric analysis: Methods of expressing concentrations, primary and secondary standards. Neutralization reactions: Theory of indicators and neutralization indicators. Oxidation-reduction titration: Principle of oxidation reduction filtrations, redox indicators and their use in pharmaceutical analysis. Precipitation titration: Theory of precipitation titrations and use of adsorption indicators. Gravimetric analysis: Method of gravimetric analysis. Complexometric titrations: Complexometric methods using EDTA, principle of complexometric titrations, chelating agents, indicators, titrations with disodium edetate. Nonaqueous titrations:General discussion and principle of titrations in non-equeous media, aprotic, protophilic, protogenic and amphiprotic solvents. Titrations with perchloric acid, potassium methoxide and tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide. Ionic equations, numerical problems based on the above topics.

 

MPCH 802 Biochemistry

Enzyme, enzyme kinetics, enzyme action, biological oxidation and reduction. Energy metabolism, bioenergetics, Introduction to Intermediary metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. Protein and nucleic acid metabolism, lipid, water and mineral metabolism. Biosynthesis of protein, transmission & expression of genetic information, DNA genetic role, Structure replication of m-RNA, transcription, gene protein relationship and control of gene. Immunoglobulins, structure classification, and their biological role. Vitamins, skeleton structure and their biological role.

 

MPCH 803 Advanced Organic Chemistry

Optical isomerism, configuration, Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rule for designation of configuration.

Stereochemistry of carbon compounds with no chiral atom, Biphenyls, Allenes, Alkylidenecycloalkanes, spirans and Geometrical isomerism. Stereoisomerism of rings, stability of rings, ease of ring formation, Actual shape of six membered rings and its relation to properties and reactivity and Conformational analysis of Butane. Carbocation, Carbanions, free radicals, formation and stability. Mechanism of reaction and methods of determining them. Mechanism involving aliphatic nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution reactions. Mechanisms involving Aromatic eletrophilic and aromatic nucleophilic substitution reactions, free radical reactions. Addition to carbon-carbon multiple bonds and elimination reactions. Study of reactions such as: Fries Rearrangement Beckmann rearrangement, Hofmann rearrangement, Curtius reaction, Schmidt Reaction, Claisen’s Condensation, Wittig Reaction, Oppenaueroxidation, Meerwein Pondroff Valery Reduction, Birch Reduction, Clemmensen reduction, Reimer- Tiemann Reaction, Wolf Kishner’s Reduction, Pinacol-Pinacolone Rearrangement and Aldol Condensation,

 

MPCH 804 Pharmacology

History of development of Pharmacology, introduction and general principles of route of drug administration, pharmacokinitics (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excreation) a pharmacodynamics (general mechanism of drug action). Elementry introduction to adverse drug reactions and drug interactions, Drug allergy. Toxicity: General concepts of toxicity, Acute, subacute & chronic toxicity tests, teratogenicity & carcinogenicity, itrogenic diseases, LD50, ED50, tolerance, habituation and addiction. Bio-assays: General principles, general methods, biological variations & animal ethics. Bioassays of insulin, heparin, d-tubocurarin, digitalis, acetylcholine, adrenaline, histamine. General principles of screening of drugs, general screening methods, clinical trial. Screening methods for evaluation of anti-inflammatory, analgesics, antipyretics and antiulcer, anticonvulsants, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, diuretic and drugs acting on CNS.

 

MPCH 805 Modern Analytical Techniques I

Chromatography: Principles Instrumentation, Application of adsorption, partition, paper, thin layer, HPTLC, HPLC, Gel Electrophoresis. Gas and Ion exchange Chromatography. Colorimetry: theory, methods of colour measurements and instrumentation. Optical rotation, its significance, instrumentation. Optical rotatory dispersion-terminology, plain curve, rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism and octane rule. Atomic absorption and flame emission spectroscopy, theory, instrumentation, atomic absorption spectrophotometers and structure determinations. UV and infrared spectroscopy: Principle, techniques, instrumentation and application including interpretation of data.

 

MPCH 806 Physical Pharmacy and Biopharmaceutics

Preformulation studies: Factors affecting dissolution, diffusion – pH, pka, KO/W, particle size, solubility. Methods to increase solubility of poorly soluble drugs, drug release mechanisms. Factors affecting/necessitating preformulation of Drugs. Micromeritics: Introduction, pharmaceutical importance, particle size distribution, surface area and particle volume, derived properties of powder, flow properties of powder, angle of repose, factors affecting flow of powders. Different methods of particle size determination. Surface and interfacial tension: Measurement of surface and interfacial tension, spreading coefficient, general classification of surfactants, hydrophilic- lipophilic balance. Solubilization, factors affecting solubilization, micelle formation, factors affecting micelle formation, determination of critical micelle Concentration, detergency and wetting agents. Contact angle, flocculating agents, de-flocculating agents, foaming and antifoaming agents. Pharmaceutical applications of surfactants. Colloids: Pharmaceutical application of colloids, brief introduction to properties of colloids. Coarse dispersions: Physical stability of suspension and emulsions, types of suspension, controlled flocculation-flocculated suspension, types of emulsion, theories of emulsification, emulsifying agents mechanism of action, factors to improve physical stability of emulsions. Rheology: Fundamentals of rheology, types of flow, thixotropy in formulations, rheology of disperse system. Pharmaceutical applications of rheology. Types of viscometers. Chemical kinetics: Influence of temperature, light, oxygen acid base catalyst and methods to prevent drug degradation. Prediction of stability, accelerated stability studies. Disintegration: Disintegration, Disintegration time, factors affecting disintegration Dissolution: Dissolution, dissolution models, factors affecting dissolution rate, co-relation of dissolution with bioavailability

.

MPCH 807 Chemistry of Natural Products

Heterocyclic Compounds: Five membered heterocycles: Furan, Thiophene, pyrole, thiazole, pyrazole, oxazole, imidazole, Six membered hydrocycles: Pyridine, pyrimidine. Benzfused heterocycles: Quinoline, isoquinoline and indole. Carbohydrate: Introduction, mutarotation, ring structure of glucose, configuration of monosaccharides, structure elucidation of disaccharides, sucrose and maltose. Polysaccharides, starch. Glycosides: general structural elucidation of glycoside including cardiac glycosides. Alkaloids: General introduction, distribution in plants, isolation & purification. General methods of structure determination. Structural elucidation of atropine, quinine and Nicotine. Structural features of morphine and Caffiene. Terpenoids: General introduction, isolation, purification and structure elucidation of citral, menthol, and camphor. Steroids: General introduction and structure elucidation of sterols with special reference to cholesterol.

 

MPCH 808 Modern Analytical Techniques II

Molecular Emission Spectroscopy: Principle, molecule exhibiting fluorescence, Factors interfering with florescence intensity and Application, Raman Spectroscopy-Principle, Instrumentation and Application. Mass Spectroscopy: Principle, techniques, instrumentation, fragmentation pattern & structural elucidation of compounds. GC-MS and LC-MS Principle and Application. Proton Magnetic Resonanace, Principle, techniques, instrumentation, 1HNMR signals, chemical shift, spin-spin coupling, shielding desheilding effect, diamagnetic anisotropy, geminal coupling, AMX, ABX, ABC system, shift reagents and interpretation of spectra. 13C-NMR, introduction and interpretation of data. Application of spectroscopic techniques to structural elucidation, introduction aids to spectral intepretation exercises. Microbiology assays, Principles of microbiological assays, assays of vitamins and antibiotics.

MPCH 809 Laboratory Management and Research Methods

Laboratory management is important to the graduate, who gets an opportunity to join the chemical industry. They require skills to plan, design and manage laboratories, which they are expected to operate in. Laboratory and business management principles are also important in this module. Research Methods involve practical steps of a research proposal, experimental design, data collection, treatment and use of statistical packages. It also covers intellectual property and commercialization processes.

MPCH 810 Drug Design

Specific and non-specific drug action, Drug receptors, Basic concept and classification of receptors, Forces involved in drug receptors- interactions, Receptor agonism and  ntagonism, Concept of Spare receptors, Simple kinetics of drug- receptor interaction, Receptor theories: Clark’s occupancy theory, Ariens-Stephenson modification, Induced fit and macromolecular perturbation theories, Ion Channel receptors. Topographical study of the following receptors includes only preferred conformations, pharmacophores and modes of bindings/interactions: Adrenergic, Cholinergic, Opioid, receptors, H-1 and H-2 receptors, Diazepine, Serotonin. Concept of isosterism and bioiososterism and their applications in drug design, Antimetabolite approach to drug design, Analog drug design, Prodrugs and drug latentiation, Carrier-linked prodrugs, Bioprecursors, Role of functional groups in prodrug design, General pathways of drug metabolism and simple kinetics of drug metabolism, Pharmacokinetic oriented drug design. Stereochemical aspects of drug action: Setereoselectivity of optical isomers, Role of planarity in drug action, Stereoselectivity of conformational isomers. QSARincluding: Types of QSAR models, Classification of parameters utilized in QSAR studies, Statistical concept of QSAR, Hansch model of QSAR, De Novo model of QSAR, Hammett and Taft model of QSAR equations, Applications of QSAR in drug design. Basics of combinatorial chemistry, Rational approach to drug design, Basic strategies of drug discovery, Role of molecular docking/modelling in drug design, computer assisted drug design. Drug synthesis and manufacturing process. 

MMCH 901 Chemotherapeutic Agents

Chemical Classifications, SAR Studies, Mode of actions and Therapeutic uses of the following; Beta lactam antibiotics: Penicillins, Cephalosprins including their semi-synthetic products. Monobactams. Tetracyclines, Semi-synthetic tetracyclines, Gentamycins, Neomycins, Kanamycins, Fluoroquinoolines, type of antibacterials. Sulfonamides, Antileprotics, Antimycobacterials, Antifungals. Antiprotozoal includes-Antimalarials, Antiamoebics, Antihelminths. Anticancer, Antivirals and Synthesis of following drugs involving not more than three steps. 5-Fluorouracil, 6-Mercaptopurine, Amoxycillin, Ampicilln, Benzathine, Benzidiazole, Busulfan, Cefrozil, Cepirone, Chloroquine, Ciprofloxacin, Clotrimazole, Cyclophosphamide, Dapsone, Deoxycycline, Diloxamide., Ethionamide, Fucytocine, Hydroxy urea, Idoxuridine, Isoniazid, Ketoconazole, Loracarbef, Mafenide Acetate, Melphalan, Metronidazole, Pamaquine, Penicillins G, Piperazine Citrate, Proguanil, Pyrimethamine, Sulfadioxime, Sulfasalazine, Thiabendazole, Thiotepa, Trimethoprin.

 

MMCH 902 Pharmacodynamic Agents

Chemical Classifications, SAR Studies, Mode of actions and Therapeutic uses of the following classes of drugs. Drugs acting on CVS – Antianginals, Antihypertensives, Antilipidemics, Antiarrhythmics, Diuretics.  Analgesics – Narcotic and NSAIDs, Antipyretics, Uricosurics (Antigouts). Drug acting on CNS – Hypnotic Sedative only, Barbiturates and halogenated drugs, Antiepileptics, General anaesthetics, Antiparkinsonian drugs.  Psychotherapeuticals – Antipsychotics, Anxiolytic drugs, Antidepressants and Antidiabetics. H- 1 – R blockers (Anti-histaminics), H –2 – R blockers (Anti-ulcers), Carbohydrate based drugs, Oligonucleotides and Synthesis of following drug involving not more than three steps: Acetazolamide, Amantidine HCl, Amyl nitrate, Amoexpine, Buspropion, Captopril, Carbamazepine, Cetrizine, Chlorocyclizine, Chloropheniramine, Chloropromazine, Chloropropamide, Cimetidine, Clofibrate, Clonidine HCl, Desipiramine, Diazepam, Diltiazem HCl, Diphenyhydramine, Disopyramide, Enalapril maleate, Enthimate, Ethacrynic acid, Ethosuximide, Felodipine, Fentanyl citrate, Fluvastatin, Fluoxetine, Furasemide, Gemfibrozil, Glipizide, Guanethidin monosulphate, Hydrothiazide, Imipramine, Ibuprofen, Isosorbide dinitrate, Labetolol, Loratidine, Lorazepam, Lovastatin, Meperidine, Methadone, Methyldopatate HCl, Nalorphine, Naloxone, Nitrazepam, Oxycodone, Phenoformin, Phenytoin, Polythiazide, Procainamide, Promazine, Propoxyphene napsylate, Propranolol, Pyrilamine maleate, Ranitidine, Salsalate, Sotalol, Sufindac, Tolbutamide, Triamterene, Triazolam, Trimeprazine, Thioridazine, Tripelennamine maleate, Verampril

 

MMCH 903 Pharmaceutical Quality and Regulation

Good manufacturing practices (GMP). Local and global legislation. Solutions to critical manufacturing defects. Production planning and inventory control, method development and validation, quality risk management and regulatory roles such as development and assessment of clinical trial dossiers in the pharmaceutical industry.

 

MMCH 904 Drug Delivery System and Biopharmaceutics

Types, advantages, disadvantages and formulation and evaluation/quality control of oral dosage forms including Liquid dosage forms like solution, syrups, suspension and emulsion, Solid dosage forms like tablets, capsules and Semisolid dosage like ointment, cream, gels.

Parenteral drug delivery system: Preparation, Evaluation and quality control. A brief introduction to new approach such as liposomes, neosomes, nanoparticles, Resealed erythrocytes as novel parenteral drug delivery. Controlled release drug delivery system: Advantages, drug properties relevant of controlled release formulation. Oral dosage form: diffusion system, dissolution system, osmotic pump ion exchange resin and prodrug. Parenteral dosage form: Intramuscular injection and implants. Drug absorption: factors affecting drug absorption including physicochemical, biological and pharmaceutical. Passive and active diffusion. Drug disposition: Distribution in blood, plasma protein binding, cellular distribution, drug excretion, biotransformation of drugs. Bioavailability: Concept of bioavailability and comparative bioavailability, methods of estimation of bioavailability, bioequivalence studies.

 

MMCH 905 Laboratory Practical

Students to design and carry out a practical in any of the following areas; Analysis of pharmaceuticals; Analysis of dosage form, typical pharmacopial assays, including disintegration time, dissolution rate and friability. Synthetic medicinal chemistry; Synthesis of Compounds using 3 to 4 steps. Natural Products; Isolation and identification of compounds. Phytochemical test for Carbohydrate, Alkaloids, Steroids, Terpenoids, Amino acids, Phenolics, Proteins. Structure confirmation by spectroscopic methods. Interpretation of UV, IR, NMR and Mass Spectroscopy of compounds.

 

MMCH 906 Dissertation 

This is a research project, based on a dissertation on an approved topic in the area of pharmaceutical chemistry. The module consists of project proposal, progress report and the final dissertation, together with oral presentations of each stage