Module 4: Developing New Medicines
These free OCR A Level Biology Developing New Medicines revision notes have been written for specification point 4.1.1(m).
Developing New Medicines
The discovery and development of new medicines are of major importance in healthcare.
New medicines can come from nature, observation, or scientific innovation, and all require extensive testing before use.
The need for new medicines
New drugs are constantly required because:
- New diseases continue to emerge (e.g. SARS, Ebola, COVID-19)
- Existing diseases still lack effective cures (e.g. Alzheimer’s, cancer)
- Antimicrobial resistance makes current treatments less effective (e.g. MRSA)
New drugs can be discovered through different approaches:
| Approach | Description |
|---|---|
| Traditional remedies | Traditionally used plants may have active ingredients. |
| Wildlife observation | Animals and insects utilise plants to treat and prevent infectious disease, which can be investigated for new biomolecules. |
| Disease mechanisms | Researching the exact mechanisms of infection and disease creates insights that can be exploited with the development of new biomolecules. |
| Synthetic biology | Organisms can be genetically engineered to produce medicines, or entirely new biomolecules can be designed and created. |
| Personalised medicine | Existing medicines can be tailored using information on an individual’s genetics and metabolism, reducing side effects and increasing effectiveness. |
Drug discovery is a strong argument for the conservation of biodiversity, as unexplored ecosystems may contain undiscovered compounds with medicinal value.