This course from The Open University uses a case study of doxazosin – a medicine used to treat high blood pressure – to explain how pharmaceutical scientists research and synthesize new medical drugs.

The development of new drugs within the pharmaceutical industry continues to advance modern medical treatment.

Chemists follow a rigorous process to create and improve compounds to treat a wide variety of diseases.

In Birth of a Drug, experts from The Open University explain the importance of the chemical industry in the global economy.

Through a case study, the course outlines the medical need and research process that Pfizer scientists used to create a new blood pressure drug.

The course includes explanations of the criteria, pharmaceutical background, and organic chemistry research the scientists employed to synthesize a more effective hypertension medication.