3 answers
tracy
Student
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
1
Question
Asked
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i want to create new medicine for a disease but i don't know where to start ?
i like chemistry and mixing compounds together.
#careeradvice #medicine #chemistry #internationalstudents
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3 answers
Geo Joy
Chemical Engineer
2
Answers
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Updated
Geo’s Answer
Pharmaceutical scientists usually develops new drugs. To become a pharmaceutical scientist, you need knowledge in mathematics, biology, and chemistry. In college, you can major in the pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacy, biology, chemistry, medicine, or engineering.
Yarek Rivers
Science Teacher/BioPharma Professional
18
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Yarek’s Answer
There are actually many different fields involved in discovering/inventing new medicines. There is some overlap, but you might consider what you are most interested in and enjoy.
Most medicines (drugs) today are discovered by looking at a specific target. That is, where and how it actually works in the body. Identifying a target is the work of biologists and biochemists that identify the specific molecule in the body (usually a protein) that a drug will interact with. There are many different molecules that may affect the target (candidate drugs), but very few of them are useful as medicines.
So, turning a candidate drug into an actual medicine is the work of medicinal chemists. These folks, together with biochemists, figure out how the candidate interacts with the target, then do the actual chemistry to formulate more new candidates that may be better or worse. This involves the work of pharmacologists too, so that the candidates have the desired effects without too many negative ones. Pharmacologists look at things like how the drug is removed from the body, how long it lasts, and what other effects (good or bad) it may have. If the candidate drug is a good one (more benefits than drawbacks), it gets produced in small quantities for testing. Production is accomplished by chemical engineers, who determine the most efficient way to make lots of it. While medicinal chemists have a lot of tools to synthesize new drugs, the methods can be slow, expensive, or inefficient. Chemical engineers figure out how to make lots of it cheaply, which can mean changing how it is synthesized. It also involves analytical chemists who ensure the right products are produced, without undesirable by-products.
People in each of these roles usually have graduate degrees in their field, which means a bachelor's degree first in a related field. Lots of science and math in all of them.
Consider which steps in the process interest you most
Learn about the roles each specialist plays in the process
Identify a degree or major that will help you get into that role
Most medicines (drugs) today are discovered by looking at a specific target. That is, where and how it actually works in the body. Identifying a target is the work of biologists and biochemists that identify the specific molecule in the body (usually a protein) that a drug will interact with. There are many different molecules that may affect the target (candidate drugs), but very few of them are useful as medicines.
So, turning a candidate drug into an actual medicine is the work of medicinal chemists. These folks, together with biochemists, figure out how the candidate interacts with the target, then do the actual chemistry to formulate more new candidates that may be better or worse. This involves the work of pharmacologists too, so that the candidates have the desired effects without too many negative ones. Pharmacologists look at things like how the drug is removed from the body, how long it lasts, and what other effects (good or bad) it may have. If the candidate drug is a good one (more benefits than drawbacks), it gets produced in small quantities for testing. Production is accomplished by chemical engineers, who determine the most efficient way to make lots of it. While medicinal chemists have a lot of tools to synthesize new drugs, the methods can be slow, expensive, or inefficient. Chemical engineers figure out how to make lots of it cheaply, which can mean changing how it is synthesized. It also involves analytical chemists who ensure the right products are produced, without undesirable by-products.
People in each of these roles usually have graduate degrees in their field, which means a bachelor's degree first in a related field. Lots of science and math in all of them.
Yarek recommends the following next steps:
Randall Detra
Industry: Environmental testing/research. Academic: chemistry, biology, physical science
22
Answers
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Updated
Randall’s Answer
Hello Tracy,
If you are interested in pharmaceutical development, you may first decide what level of the process you wish to play. If you are okay with taking orders and running a lab or certain technical aspects of a research lab, such as a specific instrument or method, then you may do well with a Bachelor of Science degree. You could go almost anywhere for your education but it would be helpful to go to a university/college with some strength in chemistry. It would be even better if there is a pharmacy or pharmacology program. Often they are mostly for graduate students but you can, and should, be competitive by securing some sort of internship/work-study with researchers working on something either exactly matching or closely matching your specific interests. Then you certainly should secure an industrial lab internship by your senior year. This would look good on your resume.
If you wish to take a position in which you are principle investigator or some other role designing pharmaceuticals and testing them, then you will certainly need a graduate degree. A master's would be good but a PhD would much better. In this case you may do well with any undergraduate school as long as you are prepared for a graduate program in a high end research institution. They are always working with development of new pharmaceuticals. You should carefully pick the program. Some do not actually synthesize new compounds but do test new ones. Some have synthesis labs they work with. You may be more interested in determining efficacy rather than synthesis. All of these steps of the process are frequently separate from each other. There are some labs which simply shot-gun synthesis of compounds based on a generalized structure. Some labs predict efficacy based on computer modeling algorithms. Then what is the efficacy threshold/window? Some labs test how fast the test pharmaceutical spread through the body and how quickly the body clears the drug over time.
At any rate you should pick your PhD project with care and guidance from a graduate advisor. Expect your undergraduate program to run 4-5 years and if you go directly to a subsequent PhD program it could run from 3 to 5 years. This varies from school to school and program to program.
If you are interested in pharmaceutical development, you may first decide what level of the process you wish to play. If you are okay with taking orders and running a lab or certain technical aspects of a research lab, such as a specific instrument or method, then you may do well with a Bachelor of Science degree. You could go almost anywhere for your education but it would be helpful to go to a university/college with some strength in chemistry. It would be even better if there is a pharmacy or pharmacology program. Often they are mostly for graduate students but you can, and should, be competitive by securing some sort of internship/work-study with researchers working on something either exactly matching or closely matching your specific interests. Then you certainly should secure an industrial lab internship by your senior year. This would look good on your resume.
If you wish to take a position in which you are principle investigator or some other role designing pharmaceuticals and testing them, then you will certainly need a graduate degree. A master's would be good but a PhD would much better. In this case you may do well with any undergraduate school as long as you are prepared for a graduate program in a high end research institution. They are always working with development of new pharmaceuticals. You should carefully pick the program. Some do not actually synthesize new compounds but do test new ones. Some have synthesis labs they work with. You may be more interested in determining efficacy rather than synthesis. All of these steps of the process are frequently separate from each other. There are some labs which simply shot-gun synthesis of compounds based on a generalized structure. Some labs predict efficacy based on computer modeling algorithms. Then what is the efficacy threshold/window? Some labs test how fast the test pharmaceutical spread through the body and how quickly the body clears the drug over time.
At any rate you should pick your PhD project with care and guidance from a graduate advisor. Expect your undergraduate program to run 4-5 years and if you go directly to a subsequent PhD program it could run from 3 to 5 years. This varies from school to school and program to program.