Entry requirements

150 credits of which 90 credits in biomedicine, pharmaceutical science, natural science and/or technology. Prior studies should include 10 credits in chemistry and 7.5 credits in pharmacology. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

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

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

• Describe and justify the role and importance of the various disciplines involved in the different phases of drug discovery and development.
• Account for decision points in the drug development process.
• Explain how methods for predictions are used to make early decisions in drug discovery and development.

COMPETENCE AND SKILLS

• Contribute constructively to group work in the drug development projects.
• Construct, review and evaluate preclinical and clinical pharmaceutical studies with a general understanding of aim, choice of procedures, results, conclusions and importance as well as make decisions regarding further development.

JUDGEMENT AND APPROACH

• Evaluate scientific, ethical and market-related considerations of importance in drug development.

Content

The course covers the different phases of drug development and their central processes. The first part of the course deals with the identification and optimization of active substances against selected macromolecular targets. The second part focuses on pharmaceutical development of the active substance. The third part of the course discusses ADME and toxicological profiling, in vivo and in vitro pharmacology, biomarkers and disease models, clinical trials, the drug registration process, and factors for commercialization. The content of the course is covered extensively during seminars and workshops where conclusions are presented orally and in writing.

Instruction

Teaching takes the form of lectures, oral and written presentations, workshops, discussion seminars and self-study of literature. The course is given in English.

Compulsory components: discussion seminars, workshops, oral and written presentations.

Assessment

A written exam is held at the end of the course. In addition to a passed written individual exam (5 credits), a passed result in compulsory modules (2.5 credits) is required for a passing grade. The possibility of completing unpassed compulsory modules can be arranged, at the earliest, the next time the course runs and only if space is available.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of the assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Other regulations

This course substitutes and corresponds to 3FK029.

The course is part of the Master's Programme in Pharmaceutical Modelling and the Master's Programme in Drug Discovery and Development.

The course is an elective course of the pharmaceutical specialisation in the Master's Programme in Chemical Engineering.