This course covers the stages of drug discovery in which promising compounds (leads) are identified, their optimal and suboptimal characteristics determined, and the suboptimal characteristics optimized to create a candidate suitable for the clinic. The course is built around a case study on the discovery of an antimalarial therapy. Assays useful for screening new compounds are outlined, examples of selection criteria for leads are discussed - such as potency, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics - and the structure activity relationships that contribute to the optimization of a lead series are considered. The phenotypic approach used by the antimalarial program will be briefly contrasted with a target-based program on a different target.

Lead Selection & Optimization

Lead Selection & Optimization
This course is part of Drug Hunting: The Science of Making New Medicines Specialization



Instructors: Erland Stevens, PhD
2,483 already enrolled
Included with
31 reviews
Recommended experience
Details to know

Add to your LinkedIn profile
12 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 3 modules in this course
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Offered by
Explore more from Research
Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Jennifer J.

Larry W.

Chaitanya A.
Learner reviews
- 5 stars
96.77%
- 4 stars
3.22%
- 3 stars
0%
- 2 stars
0%
- 1 star
0%
Showing 3 of 31
Reviewed on Nov 30, 2024
It is a perfect course with ample knowledge and testing of knowledge by quizzes and discussions.
Reviewed on Sep 3, 2024
Key concepts covered in a concise and accessible format.

Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy










