随着药品专利法的实施和加入WTO组织，我国的新药研究开发战略已经开始由仿制向创制转轨。为面向新世纪培养医药科学发展所需的高质量人才，开设新药研究与开发课程十分必要。本课程主要阐述新药设计的原理和方法，新药开发的基本程序和要求。内容包括：先导化合物的发现和优化，药物设计的原理和方法，如受体理论、前药原理、代谢拮抗原理、生物电子等排原理、拼合原理、酶抑制剂及软药设计等。学习本课程要求学生有较扎实的药学、生命科学和计算机基础知识。通过本课程学习，使学生了解新药研究与开发的一般程序和方法，熟悉新药（先导物）发现的途径，掌握药物设计的原理和方法，了解计算机辅助药物设计的原理，初步具备运用上述原理和方法设计和开发新药的能力。本课程为制药工程、生物工程硕士专业学位研究生开设，也适合生、农、医药全日制研究生选修。

With the implementation of the patent low of medicines and joining WTO, the strategy of research and development of new drugs must change from copying to creating in our country. In the face of the development of medical science in the new century, it is essential to set up the course of research and development of new drugs to offer the high-qualified talents. The mine idea of this course is to explain the principle and method of new drug design and the basic procedure and requirement of new drug development. It include: discovery and optimization of leading compounds, the principle and method of new drugs design, such as principle of receptor and ligand, bioisosterism, pro-drugs, soft drugs, combination, enzyme inhibitors design etc. To take the course, students must command a basic knowledge of chemistry, biological and computer science. Though the study, students will know the general procedure and method of research and development of new drugs, get familiar with the means of discovering and optimizing leading compounds, grasp the principle and method of new drug design, understand the principle of the computer-added drug design, and develop a ability to design new drugs with the principle and method mentioned above. The course is a compulsory subject for the graduate students of pharmaceutical engineer and biotechnology as well as related students specialized in agriculture and medicine..