By SIMON COLLINS
New Zealand's first degree in medicinal chemistry has attracted almost three times the number of applicants expected
By Friday, 84 people had applied to start the four-year degree at Auckland University, which had been expected to attract only 30 people.
The course is the first to be geared
towards the growing needs of small biotechnology companies that are developing medicines for diseases such as cancer, diabetes and brain damage.
It combines papers from science subjects such as chemistry and biology with medical subjects such as pharmacology and physiology.
There will also be lectures on intellectual property, regulations, and good laboratory and manufacturing practice.
"It is aimed at the development of a pharmaceutical industry in NZ," said Professor Margaret Brimble.
"It's a really, really exciting development for New Zealand that we have this opportunity now.
"We have this embryonic pharmaceutical industry.
"I am very keen to contribute to that. They will probably do clinical trials here in New Zealand."
Last year, Professor Brimble was asked by the brain research company Neuronz to find three scientists to develop molecules for its medicines. She could not find them in New Zealand.
"We recruited two returning New Zealanders and one British person."
She said the Auckland Cancer Research Centre was also advertising internationally for medicinal chemists because it could not find them in this country.
As well as biotech companies, other potential employers of medicinal chemists include crown research institutes, hospitals and legal firms handling medical patents.
Department of Chemistry
