Goodman and Gilman's The
Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics
14th Edition
Author(s)Laurence Brunton; Bjorn Knollmann
Print ISBN: 9781264258079
,Question 1
A researcher isolates a biologically active compound from a medicinal
plant and determines that it produces a reproducible therapeutic effect.
What is the most appropriate next step in the drug-discovery process?
A. Immediately market the compound for clinical use
B. Characterize the compound and investigate its pharmacological
activity and potential mechanism
,C. Increase the dose until toxicity is observed
D. Replace the compound with a structurally unrelated synthetic drug
Correct Answer:
B. Characterize the compound and investigate its pharmacological
activity and potential mechanism
Rationale:
B is correct because an active natural product must be characterized
and evaluated systematically to determine its chemical identity,
biological activity, mechanism, and potential therapeutic value. A is
incorrect because marketing requires extensive preclinical and clinical
evaluation. C is incorrect because deliberately producing toxicity is not
an appropriate initial development strategy. D is incorrect because
structural replacement is unnecessary before the natural compound has
been adequately characterized.
Question 2
Which characteristic makes a naturally occurring molecule particularly
valuable as a starting point for drug discovery?
A. It is guaranteed to be safe in humans
B. It has already undergone regulatory approval
C. It possesses biological activity that can provide a starting point for
therapeutic optimization
D. It always has better pharmacokinetic properties than synthetic
compounds
, Correct Answer:
C. It possesses biological activity that can provide a starting point for
therapeutic optimization
Rationale:
C is correct because naturally occurring compounds can provide
chemically diverse structures with biologically relevant activity that can
serve as leads for drug development. A is incorrect because natural
origin does not guarantee safety. B is incorrect because discovery of a
natural compound does not constitute regulatory approval. D is
incorrect because natural compounds may have poor absorption,
distribution, metabolism, or toxicity profiles that require optimization.
Question 3
A medicinal chemist modifies several functional groups on a biologically
active compound while retaining its core structure. What is the primary
purpose of this strategy?
A. To eliminate the need for pharmacological testing
B. To optimize the compound's pharmacological and drug-like
properties
C. To guarantee that the compound will have no adverse effects
D. To ensure that the compound can only interact with one biological
target
Correct Answer:
B. To optimize the compound's pharmacological and drug-like
properties