Entry requirements

Admitted to the Master's programme in drug discovery and development. For the pharmacy program, 100 credit points/150 credits is required within the programme including courses in medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics. For the engineering programme in chemical engineering, at least 80 credit points applies/120 credits is required within the programme including courses in medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics. For non-programme students a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science degree is required (120 credit points/180 credits) including courses in medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics. Knowledge in Swedish and English equivalent to that required for basic eligibility to Swedish higher education.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

- Describe and justify the role and importance of the various disciplines involved in the different phases of drug discovery and development.

- Review and evaluate preclinical and clinical pharmaceutical studies with a general understanding of aim, choice of procedures, results, conclusions and importance.

- Explain scientific, ethical and market-related considerations of importance in the drug development.

- Carry out searches in databases to retrieve information relevant to the development of a new drug.

- Account for decision points in the drug development process.

- Explain how methods for predictions are used to make early decisions in the drug discovery and development.

Content

The course deals with the different phases in drug development; Identification and validation of target molecule (the target), identification and optimisation of active substance, ADME-Tox profiling, in-vivo and in-vitro pharmacology, formulation, biomarkers and disease models, clinical trials, registration and commercialisation.

Instruction

The course consists of lectures, oral and written presentations, workshops, seminars and self-study of literature. Some portions may be given in English.

Compulsory parts of the course:

Course introduction, workshops and literature work.

Assessment

The examination will take place at the end of the course. To pass the course one must: pass the examination (examination code) and receive a passing grade in the literature work (examination code).

Re-taking failed compulsory parts of the course can occur, at the earliest, at next course and then only if the course is not full.

Students who have failed the first examination are allowed five re-examinations.

Other directives

The course is given in English when it is given for exchange students.