Discipline - Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Professor Nitulescu George Mihai, PhD tenured
Professor Limban Carmen, PhD tenured
Professor Stecoza Camelia Elena, PhD tenured
Professor Nuta Diana Camelia, PhD tenured
Associate Professor Badiceanu Carmellina Daniela, PhD tenured
Associate Professor Ciolan Dragos Florian, PhD tenured
Lecturer Vlad Ilinca Margareta, PhD tenured
Assistant Professor Duta-Bratu Cosmina Gabriela, PhD fixed term
Assistant Professor Coanda Maria, PhD fixed term

Basic knowledge of pharmaceutical chemistry have been taught since the early years of the National School of Medicine and Medicine Pharmacy (1856-1859) by Carol Davila, M.D.. During 1862-1892 the discipline was led by professor Adolf Trausch., and in the following years by the professors: Mihail Georgescu (1892-1934), Gheorghe P. Pamfil (1934-1941) (the discipline was called the Department of Chemical and Galenic Pharmacy), Alexandru Ionescu-Matiu (1941-1947) (discipline was called Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry), Constantin N. Ionescu (1948-1956), correspondent member of the Romanian Academy, Chief of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Section and Director of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute (discipline was called Pharmaceutical Chemistry), E. Puşcaru (1956-1961), Emil Cionga (1962-1973), Victor Decebal Zotta (1973-1987), Jeana Vâlcoci Soare (1987-1989), Alexandru Vasile Missir (1989- 2002), Ileana Cornelia Chiriţă (2002-2007), Laurenţiu Moruşciag (2007-2016).

We mention that a special success of the activity of the discipline is the realization of clonidin, during 1974-1992, under difficult working conditions in laboratories, by teachers and students of the third and fourth years of study. The synthesis was performed on the basis of an original patent (authors Al. Missir, Ileana Chiriţă and Elena Grigorescu), and the amount of synthesized substance covered the needs for the whole country at that time. A valuable contribution of the teaching staff was also the contribution to the editing of the Romanian Pharmacopoeia.

Teaching Activity

The teaching activity comprises courses and practical works in Pharmaceutical Chemistry with third and fourth-year students and residents specializing in General Pharmacy. Additionally, there are optional courses dedicated to fifth-year students (Veterinary Drugs, Drug Design Strategies) and courses for master's students in programs such as "Monitoring and Analysis of Clinical Studies" and "Nutrition and Food Safety". There are also a series of Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses designed for specialists in General Pharmacy (https://umfcd.ro/educatie/postuniversitar/cursuri-de-perfectionare/).

Pharmaceutical chemistry is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles of chemistry and pharmacology to understand, develop, and produce drugs and other pharmaceutical products. It involves the study of chemical compounds that can be used in medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. The study of pharmaceutical chemistry focuses on the following main areas:

  1. Drug design and synthesis :

Chemical compounds are synthesized and optimized to develop effective and safe drugs. Various synthesis methods and structural modulations are researched to improve biological activity and reduce side effects.

  1. Study of physicochemical properties of pharmaceutical substances :

Pharmaceutical chemistry analyzes the physical and chemical properties of drugs, such as solubility, stability, and ionization capacity, as these properties influence drug absorption, distribution, and efficacy in the body.

  1. Quality control :

Pharmaceutical chemistry specialists are involved in developing and implementing quality control methods to ensure the safety and efficacy of drugs. They work in accordance with strict regulations in the pharmaceutical field to ensure compliance with quality and safety standards.

The study of pharmaceutical chemistry takes place in both the third and fourth years (see Curriculum Plans – link), providing a comprehensive framework for understanding medicinal substances based on their chemical structure and pharmacological properties. Therapeutic and chemical classes of active principles (based on the ATC classification) are presented, highlighting international common names, chemical structure, physicochemical properties, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotoxicology, correlating them with chemical structure.

During practical work, students apply fundamental knowledge in organic synthesis, familiarizing themselves with essential operations in the drug manufacturing process. They also perform practical work for the identification and qualitative and quantitative control of pharmaceutical substances, developing the skills necessary for their analysis in accordance with the requirements of the current Pharmacopeia monographs.

The teaching offer also includes two optional courses: "Veterinary Drugs" and "Drug Design Strategies", aimed at fifth-year students, enriching their knowledge in the pharmaceutical field and providing them with additional perspectives.

Research Activity

The main research directions of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry team members include, but are not limited to:

  1. Synthesis and characterization of new compounds: This direction involves the development and evaluation of new molecules with therapeutic potential for treating various medical conditions. Therapeutic areas of interest are diverse, but the most important ones concern anti-infective therapy, oncologic therapy, and treatment of central nervous system disorders.
  2. Drug design and optimization: Various informatics methods are used to model the structure of new candidate compounds based on pharmacological targets of interest for the development of new active substances or to identify the biological effect and mechanism of action of prototype molecules. In silico techniques are also used to evaluate and predict the toxicity and pharmacokinetic profile of biologically active molecules.
  3. Green chemistry and sustainability: Research in this direction aims to develop more sustainable and environmentally friendly chemical processes, waste reduction, and efficient resource utilization.

The results of research activities have been exploited through the publication of numerous ISI articles (approximately 250) and invention patents. Research activity has been recognized over time through various awards, such as the "Iuliu Hațieganu" award from the Romanian Academy, granted to Prof. Dr. Alexandru Missir and Prof. Dr. Ileana Chiriță. The Excellence Award for Pharmaceutical Research, granted by the National College of Pharmacists, has been obtained by several members of the department for their remarkable contributions to the field.

Currently, Prof. George Mihai Nitulescu, Prof. Diana Camelia Nuta, and Prof. Carmen Limban are actively involved within the Doctoral School.

  • organic synthesis
  • spectrometry
  • elemental analysis
  • drug design
  • drug chemistry
  1. Research regarding the synthesis, physicochemical characterization and testing of anti-infective activity of new compounds with tricyclic structure [6.7.6], UEFISCDI contract, no. 42-095, 2008- 2011.
  2. In silico, in vitro investigations of some compounds with anti-infective action, ANCS contract, bilateral cooperation project with Slovakia, no. 465, 2011- 2012.
  3. Synthesis and physicochemical characterization of novel 2-(2-phenethyl)-benzoyl-thiourea derivatives and their complexes with metals as potential antimicrobial substances, ANCS contract, bilateral cooperation project with Moldova, no. 419, 2010- 2012.
  4. Synthesis and antitumor evaluation of new pyrazole compounds, PN-II-RU-TE-2011-3-0228, 2011-2014.
  5. Sortase A inhibitors. New therapeutic solutions for the treatment of multiresistant gram-positive cocci infections. Project PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4- 1670, contract no. 342/2015, 2015-2017.
  1. Limban C, Chifiriuc MC, Caproiu MT, Dumitrascu F, Ferbinteanu M, Pintilie L, Stefaniu A, Vlad IM, Bleotu C, Marutescu LG, Nuță DC. New substituted benzoylthiourea derivatives - from design to antimicrobial applications, Molecules, 2020, 25, 1478, ISSN 1420-3049
  2. Ion, G.N., Olaru, O.T., Nitulescu, G., Olaru, I.I., Tsatsakis, A., Burykina, T.I. ... Nitulescu, G.M. (2020). Improving the odds of success in antitumoral drug development using scoring approaches towards heterocyclic scaffolds. Oncology Reports, 44, 589-598
  3. Nitulescu, G.M., Paunescu, H., Moschos, S.A., Petrakis, D., Nitulescu, G., Ion, G.N. ... Tsatsakis, A. (2020). Comprehensive analysis of drugs to treat SARS‑CoV‑2 infection: Mechanistic insights into current COVID‑19 therapies (Review). International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 46, 467-488.
  4. Vlad IM, Nuță DC, Chirita C, Caproiu CT, Draghici C, Dumitrascu F, Bleotu C , Avram S, Udrea AM , Missir AV, Marutescu LG, Limban C, In Silico and In Vitro Experimental Studies of New Dibenz[b,e]oxepin-11(6H)one O-(arylcarbamoyl)-oximes Designed as Potential Antimicrobial Agents, Molecules 2020, 25, 321, ISSN 1420-3049
  5. Bordei Telehoiu AT, Nuță DC, Căproiu MT, Dumitrascu F, Zarafu I, Ioniță P,  Bădiceanu CD,  Avram S, Chifiriuc MC, Bleotu C, Limban C, Design, Synthesis and In Vitro Characterization of Novel Antimicrobial Agents Based on 6-Chloro-9H-carbazol Derivatives and 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Scaffolds, Molecules, 2020, 25, 266, ISSN 1420-3049
  6. Nitulescu GM, Van De Venter M, Nitulescu G, Ungurianu A, Juzenas P, Peng Q, Olaru OT, Grădinaru D, Tsatsakis A, Tsoukalas D, Spandidos DA, Margina D. The Akt pathway in oncology therapy and beyond (Review). Int J Oncol. 2018 Dec;53(6):2319-2331
  7. Limban C, Nuţă DC, Chiriţă C, Negreș S, Arsene AL, Goumenou M, Karakitsiose SP, Tsatsakis AM, Sarigiannis DA, The use of structural alerts to avoid the toxicity of pharmaceuticals, Toxicology Reports, vol. 5, 2018, 943-953
  8. Majekova M, Stecoza CE, Kovacikova L, Majek P, capitolul 33: The use of DRAGON molecular descriptors for the estimation of pharmacologic profile of dibenzothiepine and pyridoindole compouns, in Pokroky v analytickej chemii (Progrese in chimia analitica) (531 pagini), editata de Slovak University ofTechnology in Bratislava, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Bratislava, 2013, ISBN 978-80- 227-3989- 4
  9. Stecoza CE, Májeková M, Májek P, Căproiu MT, Măruţescu L, Novel dibenzothiepins with antibiofilm activity demonstrated by microbiological assays and molecular modelling, Curr. Org. Chem., 2013, vol. 17, nr. 2, p. 113- 124;
  10. Nitulescu, GM; Draghici, C; Missir, AV. Synthesis of new pyrazole derivatives and their anticancer evaluation. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2010, 45(11), 4914-4919.

University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila" Bucharest

Adress:
Dionisie Lupu Street, no. 37, Sector 2, Bucharest

Fiscal code: 4192910
bank account: RO57TREZ70220F330500XXXX
Bank: Sector 2 Treasury

Phone:
+4021 3180719
+4021 3180721
+4021 3180722
rectorat@umfcd.ro

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