Name: Jessa P.

Orcullo Section: BSPH-2B

1. Give one example for each ADR

● Intolerance - (sensitivity) is a poorly defined term that may refer to an unusually low
threshold to the pharmacological side-effect of a drug (eg. hyperemesis with codeine
may be referred to as opiate intolerance) or to an adverse reaction that might be atypical
or not understood according to pharmacology.
● Idiosyncrasy - results from mechanisms that are not currently understood. This type of
adverse drug reaction is largely unpredictable. Examples of such adverse drug reactions
include rashes, jaundice, anemia, a decrease in the white blood cell count, kidney
damage, and nerve injury that may impair vision or hearing. These reactions tend to be
more serious but typically occur in a very small number of people. Affected people may
have genetic differences in the way their body metabolizes or responds to drugs.
● Overdose - represents an exaggeration of the drug's therapeutic effects. For example, a
person taking a drug to reduce high blood pressure may feel dizzy or light-headed if the
drug reduces blood pressure too much. This type of adverse drug reaction is usually
predictable but sometimes unavoidable.
● Withdrawal - the typical withdrawal symptoms last for 2–10 days (average 3.5 days) and
include withdrawal headache, nausea, vomiting, arterial hypotension, tachycardia, sleep
disturbances, restlessness, anxiety, and nervousness. For example, abdominal
cramping, anxiety, chills, diaphoresis, diarrhea, insomnia, and restlessness are
symptoms that result from abrupt discontinuation or withdrawal from opioid medication.

2. What are orphan receptors?

- Orphan receptors are proteins that bind and are activated by hitherto unknown signaling
molecules (called ligands, neurotransmitters, or hormones). However, they share
structural components with identified receptors whose signaling molecules are already
known. The physiological functions of orphan receptors are unidentified. The
identification of the natural ligand of an orphan receptor holds the key to our
understanding of its physiological role and potential as a drug target.

3. Give at least 3 importance of Pharmacogenomics

1. Pharmacogenomics can lead to an overall decrease in the number of adverse drug

reactions.
2. Pharmacogenomics can lead to an overall decrease in the number of medications
patients must take to find an effective therapy.
3. Pharmacogenomics can lead to an overall decrease in the effects of a disease on the
body (through early detection).
4. Define the following terms:

● Xenobiotics - is a term used to describe chemical substances that are foreign to animal
life and thus includes such examples as plant constituents, drugs, pesticides, cosmetics,
flavorings, fragrances, food additives, industrial chemicals, and environmental pollutants.
● Drug agonist - a drug or substance that binds to a receptor inside a cell or on its
surface and causes the same action as the substance that normally binds to the
receptor.
● Drug antagonist - a drug that binds to the receptor either on the primary site or on
another site, which all together stops the receptor from producing a response.

5. Why is molecular weight an essential factor to consider for the “Good fit” of a drug
substance?

- The proper molecular weight of the final drug is tracked by QC to assure that drugs are
in the correct dosage range so as to avoid either being ineffective or creating an
overdose event in use.
- Normally drugs have molecular weights between 200 and 600 Daltons, and most
commonly <500 and they belong to small molecules. The molecular weight of a drug is
important because it helps a drug gets absorbed into the body.
- Drugs with higher weights take much time to get absorbed in the body and therefore to
ever reach the place of action. Thus the molecular weight of drugs is kept lower for a
better absorption in the body. Drugs with a lower molecular weight can pass through the
cell membrane and reach the intracellular targets.