Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry

MPC; UCAS Codes: BSc F151; BSc DIS F127; MChem F128; MChem DIS F129.

The search for new drugs to combat serious human ailments such as cancer, heart disease and AIDS remains an exciting challenge at the forefront of medical research. Pharmaceutical companies invest billions of pounds annually in the search for potential new drugs and the industry has a need for highly skilled graduates with a strong background in organic chemistry, coupled with a broad understanding of pharmacology and related biochemical areas.
The Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry programmes at Loughborough University offer you the opportunity to study chemistry as a major subject in programmes which also contain subjects allied to the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

The programme

The Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry programmes within the Chemistry department at Loughborough University have been established for over 25 years. A major strength is that the programme is entirely taught in-house by specialist staff. No other departments are involved in “service teaching”. This means that staff are always on hand to help with problems and difficulties. No lectures are bought in, except for highly specialised industry-based lectures in the final year. These industrial contacts are encouraged from both sides and often provide interesting and enlightening discussion forums and potential joint projects.

The modules

The first year (Part A)
Provides you with a sound basis of the core areas of organic, physical, inorganic, and analytical chemistry and introduces biological chemistry. The biological module does not depend on a background of biology and students who have not previously studied biology are not disadvantaged.

The second year (Part B)
In the second year (Part B) increasing emphasis is put on subjects allied to the medical and pharmaceutical industry. Modules are provided in molecular pharmacology, cell structure and biochemistry, and physical pharmaceutics (the study of the physical properties of drugs and the way in which drugs are formulated and presented to patients). These modules are chosen for you as replacements for some of the inorganic and physical chemistry modules. However, organic chemistry and analytical chemistry modules are taken in full as important, highly-relevant components of your programme.

The industrial training year

Following completion of the second year many students then take advantage of the Industrial Placement Scheme (sandwich programmes), with a supervised and structured year spent in industry. This option can be made available to all students irrespective of initial programme designation and we will assist with the arrangement of suitable, approved employment for you at this time. Many of the major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies welcome applications from our students including in recent years: AstraZeneca, BioFocus, GlaxoSmithKline, Lilly Industries, 3M Healthcare, Pfizer UK, Schering-Plough.

The third year (Part C)
In the third academic year (Part C) specialisation is further evident with a combination of compulsory and optional modules provided for you in: organic and biological chemistry, bio-inorganic chemistry, molecular pharmacology, pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis, pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism, design and synthesis of drug molecules, drugs and disease, synthesis in drug discovery, biotechnology, environmental chemistry and biomedical/forensic analysis. You will then undertake a research project in an area of appropriate on-going research activity in the department. (On satisfactory completion of this academic year, and compliance with university regulations, students on BSc programmes graduate.)

The fourth year (Part D)
MChem candidates undertake a fourth academic year (Part D). Research techniques and presentation skills are complemented with further compulsory and optional modules in both chemistry and the biomedical sciences as listed above. Finally a major, supervised research project is undertaken.

Professional Recognition

Graduates from the MChem programmes will be eligible for admission to AMRSC, and in addition will hold a degree accredited for the award of Chartered Chemist (CChem). This enables MChem graduates to register with the RSC for a 2 year Professional Development Programme leading to the award of CChem after three years postgraduate experience. Graduates from our BSc honours programmes are eligible for admission to Associate Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (AMRSC).

Employment

Employment prospects are good and job opportunities varied as illustrated by the first appointments of some our recent graduates, given below. Many of our graduates continue their studies as postgraduate research or taught programme students at this and other institutions world-wide, prior to taking up academic or industrial positions.

“ The Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Programme at Loughborough is both interesting and challenging. The accredited combination of core chemistry and biomedical sciences provided me with an excellent grounding for a career in the pharmaceutical industry.”
Rebecca Watchorn, graduated 1998; Clinical Trials Coordinator, Kern McNeill Clinpharm

Recent graduates include:

Alexandra Devoti, Clinical Trials Associate AstraZeneca
Caroline Burns, Analytical Chemist Lilly Industries plc
Peter Scott, PhD student (organic) University of Durham
Verity Dowdell, Research Scientist (organic) Arrow Therapeutics
Lorraine Jackson, Analytical Chemist Pedigree Petfoods
Samantha Cooke, Organic Development AstraZeneca
Nadya Muhammed, PhD student (physical) Loughborough University
Liz Llewellyn, Drug Delivery Research Pfizer UK
Andrew Kennedy, Process Development GlaxoSmithKline
Helen Dufton, Regulatory Affairs Smith and Nephew
Sally Cox, Bioanalyst GlaxoSmithKline
Rebecca Watchorn, Clinical Trials Coordinator Kern McNeill Clinpharm
Louise Appleby, PhD student (organic) Loughborough University
Paul Robinson, PhD student (organic) Loughborough University
Nicola Mawby, Research Scientist Pfizer UK

All applications must be made via UCAS

Click here to see details of typical offers.

For current situation see also: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cm/pages-undergrad/offers.html

To request a prospectus contact:

Chemistry@lboro.ac.uk

For further information contact:

Dr D R Worrall, Admissions Tutor
Department of Chemistry
Loughborough University
Leicestershire
LE11 3TU UK

Tel: +44 (0)1509 22 2567
Fax: +44 (0)1509 22 3925

Email: D.R.Worrall@lboro.ac.uk
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cm