A synopsis of the curriculum
• History and development of the pharmaceutical industry
• Therapeutic modalities
• General principles in the drug discovery process
• Drug targets
• The role of bioinformatics and genomics
• High throughput screening
• The role of pharmacology in drug discovery
• Assessing drug safety
• Clinical trials
• Intellectual property and drug discovery
• Regulatory affairs and drug approval
Blended distance learning:
Contact Hours: 100 hours
Private Study Time: 50 hours
Total Learning Time: 150 hours
2000 word Essay - 40%
2 hour Examination - 60%
The pass mark for each individual assessment is 40%. All assessments must be passed in order to pass the module.
Ray Hill and Humphrey Rang (2012) Drug Discovery and Development: Technology in Transition. Elsevier.
See the library reading list for this module (Medway)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
Critically evaluate the drug discovery process.
Understand the role of bioinformatics and genomics in the drug discovery process.
Discuss and place into context the use of high-throughput-screening in the drug discovery process.
Understand the importance of pharmacology in the drug discovery process.
Develop an understanding of how drug safety is assessed.
Develop an understanding of how drugs are evaluated in human clinical trials.
Understand the role of intellectual property in drug discovery.
Understand the role of regulatory affairs and drug approval for use in the clinic.
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
Develop and demonstrate an ability to analyse, evaluate and correctly interpret data.
Present and communicate data effectively and confidently.
Obtain and use information from a variety of sources as part of self-directed learning.
Manage their time and use their organisation skills within the context of self-directed learning.
Develop and demonstrate an ability to work and communicate effectively with others.
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