New Drug Portfolio Review Writing – Medical Science Assignment Help

Assignment Task

Task

Information:

1. Choose a hypothetical newly discovered drug from a list supplied via LMS. The drugs on our list are FICTIONAL.The suffix for each fictional drug indicates the class to which the drug belongs and should guide your research.  By researching drugs in the same class (i.e. with the same suffix), you will be able to find the information you need. For example, if your drug suffix is -prazole, then you should be comparing it with other drugs with –prazole in the name.

2. You will then prepare a proposal describing how you will get this drug onto the market. Your proposal will be presented as a group video.) that could be shown to a consortium interested in investing in your drug. 

The investment portfolio presentation will be divided into 5 sections. These are detailed below. While they are separate sections, you need to ensure that you have a consistent theme and a logical flow to your presentation. For this reason, please make sure that you work together to plan your presentation. This is not a PowerPoint presentation. It should be more like a meeting, with each group member presenting directly to the camera. A good way to think of it is to consider each member of your group as the expert relevant to their subject area, all of whom are appearing in a video conference (e.g., Zoom). As each section ends, you should announce the next speaker, indicating what they will be covering. 

1. The Market Researcher: John Testoni

Why is there a need for your new drug? In this section, you should review the competitors in your drug class. Your competitors will have the same suffix to their name as your own drug. The review should include a history of the drugs that are presently available, any problems associated with their use, concluding with why there is a need for your new drug. This section should start with a brief introduction that outlines the whole presentation. 

2. The Biologist – Heidi

Biology of the disease In this section, you should describe the causes and symptoms of the disease that your drug is targeting. This should be as comprehensive as possible and act as an introduction to the suitability of your drug as a treatment. 

3. The Pharmacologist – Jenny

Mechanism of action of your drug In this section, you should describe the way in which your new drug will actually work. This section should follow on from the previous section, making a coherent argument for the suitability of your drug as a therapy. 

Good morning everyone, my name is Jenny Ostrom and I am the lead pharmacologist in the production of micsartan for the treatment of hypertension.

The main contributing factor to hypertension is the binding of the hormone Angiotensin 2 to type 1 angiotensin II receptors found on the smooth muscle of blood vessels, the heart & the kidneys. Once bound to its receptors, angiotensin II has multiple actions that cause hypertension. 

It’s primary action is that it causes a narrowing of the blood vessels, forcing the blood to move through a smaller space & forces the heart to work harder to pump the blood. Angiotensin II also increases the release of noradrenaline, the hormone responsible for our ‘fight or flight’ response and this further increases the constriction of blood vessels and stimulates the heart to pump with more force and speed. 

Not only is the size of the blood vessels important but also our blood volume. Angiotensin II increases the body’s salt and water retention by stimulating the adrenal cortex of the kidneys to release aldosterone. Aldosterone increases sodium channels in the kidneys which causes higher levels of sodium to be reabsorbed from the kidney back into the blood, and as water is attracted to salt, this causes an increase in water reabsorption. 

Water retention is also caused by stimulation of the hypothalamus to increase thirst & thus increases fluid consumption & also the posterior pituitary gland to release antidiuretic hormone to reduce fluid lost in the urine. All of these factors all increase the body’s fluid retention and thus blood volume which further increases blood pressure. 

This is where micsartan comes in. Micsartan is classified as an Angiotensin II receptor blocker and has been created to reduce blood pressure by blocking these specific type 1 angiotensin II receptors. Hormones and their receptors fit like a lock and key, micsartan has the same appearance as Angiotensin II so it can fit into its receptors and prevent it from binding and inhibit all of its actions. This allows the blood vessels to dilate and blood to flow easier, the stress on the heart is relieved and water and salt is not retained, all resulting in a reduction of blood pressure.

4. The Development Team Leader – Jacob

How will your drug be developed from here? In this section, you should describe the process by which your drug will be evaluated as a suitable and safe therapy for the disease. This should include what will be needed for pre-clinical and clinical testing, and for registration to enable it to go on sale. 

My presentation will be starting next week, as I have another essay due this weekend. In the meantime, I have added a few links with the following text to be used as a basis:

5. The Marketing Team Leader – John Keays

Marketing and commercial aspects In this section, you should describe how you will market your drug in an effective way such that medical practitioners will choose your drug over other existing treatments. You should choose a ‘snappy’ commercial name for your drug and provide a compelling case to your investors in order to get finance for it. Where possible, this should include looking at the revenue generated by competitors, as well as discussing ways to produce the drug to maximise profits for your investors. This section should end with a brief conclusion that summarises your group’s case for investment