Role of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Industry - Coursework Example

Chemistry Anne Marie Helmenstine defined chemistry as, “It is a branch of science which deals with the study of matter, its physical and chemical properties, and interactions with other matter and with energy”. Chemistry has got its applications in all the aspects of life and examples can be taken from any field of life for instance we can easily see its applications in Pharmaceuticals Petrochemicals Food Chemistry Cosmetics and so on. if we take the simple example of much discussed biological molecule Cholesterol so basically if we look into the chemistry of this molecule then we’ll come to know that it is a fatty substance found in human blood and it is the main constituent of the membranes of the higher animals like mammals and it is also present in its modified form in lower animals and fungi. So it is the knowledge of chemistry in fact which makes us able today to understand the proper mechanism of action of cholesterol and other biological molecules and as a result we have discovered medicinal substances and pharmaceutical agents to counter the problems which occur due to abnormal functioning of these compounds. Source: http://www.silviamar.com/Documents/cholesterol.htm Role of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Industry: In ‘Process Chemistry in the Pharmaceutical Industry’ Kumar S. Gadamasetti described whenever the achievements of the 20th century will be recorded, the role of pharmaceutical industry in increasing the average life expectancy and elevating the standard of quality of life can never be ignored. One fact is for sure that the biological and chemical discoveries in the field of pharmacology are very much clear cannot be overlooked but the question is whether there will be recognition of the critical role of which has been played by the process chemistry or not? The reason is basically less acknowledgement of this part in pharmacological discoveries but the reality is that every drug discovery is based on the development of a chemical process so for the launch of every new drug, timely development of an economical and practically feasible chemical reaction and its proper understanding is required. Important Chemical Compounds in Pharmaceutical Industry: Diethyl Ether: It is a common laboratory solvent and one of the oldest medicinal compounds used by the medical persons. It has got limited water solubility. It is commonly used in pharmaceutical industry as an agent for liquid-liquid extraction. In earlier times, the most common use of ether in the pharmacological field was as an anesthetic agent who was given by inhalation but due to its inflammable nature and its toxicity especially on liver, it is replaced by less toxic materials such as Halothane and Enflurane. Antibiotics: Antibiotics are undoubtedly the most commonly used group of pharmacological agents which are gaining more and more importance due to the better understanding of the chemical structures of the viruses, bacteria and fungi so newer antibiotics with more effectiveness against these organisms so newer agents are being discovered to deal with the emerging problem of drug resistance exhibited by pathogenic organisms resulting in the decreased effectiveness of drugs in killing these microorganisms, the main process behind this phenomenon is the biological formation of different chemicals by these organisms which neutralize the effect of antibiotics so newer compounds which act even in the presence of these neutralizing agents are being discovered with the help of continuous research in the field of pharmacological chemistry. Initially the antibiotics were obtained from the culture of microorganisms but now most of the drugs are semi synthetic derivatives of the parent compounds. A brief description of some important antibiotics is given below Beta Lactam Antibiotics: These include Penicillins and Cephalosporins. Penicillins are obtained from the cultures of the fungus Penicillium which was 1st discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming but now days these are also being synthesized in the pharmaceutical industry and the examples of these semi synthetic penicillins are Ampicillin and Amoxacillin and these are prepared by replacing aromatic side chain of biologically derived penicillins with other groups. The chemical structure of one of the commonly used penicillin (penicillin G) is given below Penicillin G Cephalosporins also belong to the group of beta lactam antibiotics but these drugs act slight differently from penicillins and have a broader antibacterial spectrum. Cephalexin is a semi synthetic cephalosporin which is used to treat ear and dermatological infections. Protein Synthesis Inhibitors: These include chloramphenical, streptomycin and tetracycline. Streptomycin is obtained from streptomyces griseus and its extract is used in the chemical processes in pharmaceutical industry to make large amounts of the parent drug. Tetracycline is a macrolide group of antibiotics and this has 12-, 14- or 16- member cyclic backbone which is a lactone. Chemical structure of tetracycline is given below Tetracycline Source: http://www.chemistryexplained.com/A-Ar/Antibiotics.html Analgesics (Pain Relievers): These are the commonly used medical compounds which are used to treat painful conditions of different body organs. Some of the commonly used analgesics are explained below Aspirin: This is the prototype and the most commonly used drug in this group, chemically it is Acetyl Salicylic acid and its worldwide production and consumption is 35,000 metric tones annually. Its chemical formula is C9H8O4. The chemical structure and the chemical reaction for the synthesis of aspirin is given below Source: http://www.aspirin-foundation.com/what/chemistry.html Source: http://www.chemheritage.org/EducationalServices/pharm/tg/asp/asp31.htm So from the reaction we can have a clear knowledge about the synthesis of aspirin involving the acetylation of Salicylic Acid acetic anhydride. Acetaminophen: Karl Harrison described in his writing ‘Paracetamol, Panadol, Tylenol’ that Acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used antipyretic (fever relieving) agent and has got the popular trade name of Paracetamol or Panadol. Its discovery goes back to 19th century when the parent compound of this drug that is papa amino phenol was discovered to relieve the fever but due to its high toxicity it was not used for medicinal purposes. Then Phenacetin came under the consideration of the chemists and the pharmacists that this compound has almost equal efficacy as that of the parent compound but with much less toxicity so it was used for a long time as an effective antipyretic till 1949 when an active metabolite of phenacetin was discovered which was even less toxic than phenacetin and this metabolite was acetaminophen that is today’s Panadol. Chemical formula for Panadol is C8H9NO2. It is formed by the acetylation of Para amino phenol and it is a very effective and economical analgesic and antipyretic agent. Role of Different Branches of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Industry: Organic Chemistry: Organic chemistry is that branch of chemistry that deals with the structure, properties, and reactions of compounds that contain carbon. It is a highly creative science. Chemists in common and organic chemists in particular can produce new molecules never before proposed which, if carefully designed, may have important properties for the betterment of the human experience. It forms the back bone of the pharmaceutical industry for example a broad range of Lithium containing organic compounds are used as a versatile chemical tool for the pharmaceutical industry. We may have a naturally occurring molecule such as a complex antibiotic, an antitumor agent, or a replacement for a hormone such as insulin; organic chemists determine the modified structure of this newly discovered molecule to enhance the desired activity and specificity of action, while decreasing unwanted side effects. In fact, organic chemists have produced a variety of highly advanced and successful products to fight human diseases. Tailoring the properties of a molecule via chemical synthesis to produce beneficial effects to meet the needs of the present and future human existence is both challenging and rewarding. Analytical chemistry: Dr. Roland Collicott explained in Analytical chemistry as it is the study of the separation, identification, and quantification of the chemical components of natural and artificial materials. It plays a significant role in the development of a new drug by assuring the quality of the raw materials used ascertaining the safety and efficacy of new agent. Now a days one of the most commonly used technique in analytical chemistry is high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) which is used very commonly in pharmaceutical industry and the basic purpose of using this material is the separation of different compounds from each other and ensuring the purity of the drug obtained from different reactions. In addition to HPLC, other techniques are also used to see the polymorphism of the drug that is characterized as the ability of a drug substance to exist as two or more crystalline phases that have different arrangements and/or conformations of the molecules in the crystal lattice. Biochemistry: Tricia Ellis-Christensen described in his writing ‘What are some Practical Applications of Biochemistry?’ that the pharmaceutical industry depends greatly on this division as the knowledge of the chemical composition of biological compounds present inside the body must be acquired for the correct formulation of the medicinal compounds and their proper interaction with the natural biological compounds inside the human body is assured through the sound background of biochemistry. In the development of certain drugs, biochemistry has played a significantly important role. For example, antidepressant drugs such as Paxil & Prozac which are classified as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors( SSRI) are used to treat depression and the basics of their use in this condition is the knowledge of the biochemical background of depression which states that the main cause of depression in people is the quick consumption of serotonin by the body so these drugs cause improvement in the depressive states by inhibiting the uptake of serotonin so increased level of free serotonin are available for circulation and elevate the mood significantly. So from this we can have an idea that biochemistry assists the chemists in the development of newer agents like SSRIs because the theories based on these agents are derived from the knowledge of the chemicals which are produced within the body that affect mood.Biochemistry work in the field of harmones, enzymes, proteins and other biological compounds and their interaction with the body to have the better understanding of the type of formulation of chemicals which may be required to treat the imbalances without affecting the production of chemicals within the body. So from the above example we can conclude as put forward by V. Stefanovich that different division of biochemistry whether it is pathological or pharmacological biochemistry, these both plays a significant role in the development of new and more useful therapeutic agents. But one factor which is considered limiting in the drug discoveries is the lack of new discoveries in the field of biology. Inorganic Chemistry: Though the role of organic chemistry is much emphasized in the pharmaceutical industry but nevertheless the inorganic chemistry also has a pivotal place in this field as many inorganic compounds for example Hydrogen per Oxide, Ammonia, Carbon di Oxide and many more such inorganic compound can either be reactants, catalysts or the by product of important reactions involved in this industry. The reactions for the synthesis of these compounds are given below Synthesis of ammonia: N2(g) nitrogen + 3H2(g) hydrogen heat, pressure, catalyst 2NH3(g) ammonia H = -92.4 kJ mol-1 Source: http://www.ausetute.com.au/haberpro.html Synthesis of Hydrogen per Oxide: Na2O2 + H2SO4 H2O2 + Na2SO4 Source: http://www.tutorvista.com/content/chemistry/chemistry-iii/hydrogen/hydrogen-peroxide.php Important Basic Compounds used in Pharmaceutical Industry: In this section, a brief overview of certain chemical compounds will be given whose significant uses in pharmaceutical industry have established. Stannous Fluoride: It is used as an agent to prevent caries of teeth and is a basic constituent of tooth pastes. Tri n butyl Tin Methoxide (TBTM): It is used as a catalyst in the pharmaceutical industry. Selenium Compounds: These are thought to have antioxidant properties and are getting much significance due to this attribute as this property of these compounds helps the human body to fight against number of diseases including the prevention of cancers. Sulphur Compounds: Subhuti Dharmananda, Director Institure of Traditional Medicine described that Sulphur Compounds are one of the most commonly used compounds which are used for different indications such as Antibiotics (sulfonamides), loop diuretics (furosemide), sulfonylureas (tolbutamide), and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (acetazolamide). Conclusion: Medicinal chemistry is the application of techniques related to medical research to the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. In early days of development of medicinal chemistry, scientists were primarily concerned with the isolation of medicinal agents found by Botanical research. Today, scientists in this ground are also equally anxious with the creation of new synthetic drug compounds. Medicinal chemistry is about always geared toward drug discovery and growth. REFERENCES: 1. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., “Chemistry Definition: Chemistry Glossary Definition of Chemistry.” Last Updated 2010. Available at: http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/a/chemistrydef.htm Accessed on, 28 April. 2010. 2. Silviamar.com. “Chemistry in everyday life”. Available at: http://www.silviamar.com/chemistry_everyday.htm Accessed on, 28 April. 2010. 3. Kumar, S. Gadamasetti., (1999). Process Chemistry in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Volume 1. India. 4. Diethyl, ether., “Absolute Astronomy”. Last Updated 2010. Available at: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Diethyl_ether Accessed on, 29 April. 2010. 5. Karl, Harrison., “Acetaminophen @ 3Dchem.com Paracetamol, Panadol, Tylenol.” Last Updated 2007. Available at: http://www.3dchem.com/molecules.asp?ID=9# Accessed on, 29 April. 2010. 6. “Organic Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Industry”. Available at: http://www.chemetalllithium.com/index.php?id=28 Accessed on 29 April. 2010. 7. Speaker: Dr. Roland Collicott., Pharma Training: “Analytical Chemistry in the Pharmaceutical; Industry”. Available at: http://www.pharmatrainingservices.com/AnalyticalChemistry.htm Accessed on 29 April. 2010. 8. Tricia, Ellis-Christensen., wiseGEEK. “What are some Practical Applications of Biochemistry?” Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-practical-applications-of-biochemistry.htm Accessed on 30 April. 2010. 9. V. Stefanovich., informa healthcare. Current Medical Research and Opinion (1980). Vol. 6, No. 7, Pages 488-499 “The role of biochemistry in drug research”. Wiesbaden, West Germany. Available at: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1185/03007998009109474?journalCode=cmo Accessed on 30 April. 2010. 10. Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, “Differentiating Sulfur Compounds, Sulfa Drugs, Glucosamine Sulfate, Sulfur, and Sulfiting Agents”. Available at: http://www.itmonline.org/arts/sulfa.htm Accessed on 30 April. 2010. Portland, Oregon. Read More