PHA3042 - Modern drug development - 2019

Modern drug development will provide the student with an appreciation of the process of discovery, testing, approval and marketing of new drugs. This will include the diseases most likely to be targeted by pharmaceutical companies for drug development; the technical issues underlying drug discovery; the role of genomics in identifying novel targets; rational drug design; the importance of screens including molecular models and high throughput screening; disease models; case studies illustrating the successful development of drugs. Career opportunities in all aspects of drug development will be highlighted.

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. Discuss the steps involved in the drug discovery process, including sources of drugs, how targets are identified and screening processes that can be used to test for desired activity;
2. Discuss the steps involved in developing a commercial product from a potential drug candidate, including the relevant regulatory framework and marketing considerations;
3. Critically evaluate methodologies and data from experiments in the context of the drug development process;
4. Obtain, present and interpret data from pharmacological experiments relevant to the area of drug development;
5. Source, integrate and critically evaluate the scientific literature to address an issue in the area of drug development and to communicate this orally, in written form or via a poster presentation;
6. Work both independently and as part of a team.

NOTE: From 1 July 2019, the duration of all exams is changing to combine reading and writing time. The new exam duration for this unit is 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Examination (3 hours): 50% (Hurdle)

Tests: 10%

Assignments: 15% (Hurdle)

Practicals and in-class exercises: 25% (Hurdle)

This unit is subject to the Hurdle and Threshold Standards policiesHurdle and Threshold Standards policies (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/policies/assessment-policy-2017.html) of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences.

Two 1-hour lectures and three hours of laboratory or self-directed learning/ tutorial per week.

See also Unit timetable information

Pharmacology