3 ECTS credits
90 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4023436ENR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.
The pharmaceutical industry in general and in Belgium. Sensitive subjects such as the very high price of more and more drugs and ethical dilemmas are explored. Several examples such as the history of the VUB spin-off Ablynx make things concrete.
Project selection in the industry. How does the industry choose which medicines to develop. Aspects such as medical need, commercial feasibility, technical possibilities and logistics are addressed. The students learn to draw up a TPP - Target Product Profile - and defend it.
The different research strategies. Drug Repositioning, Phenotypic Screening, Fast Follower Approach and Target Based Research receive most attention. A medicinal chemistry competition and a demonstration of computer aided drug design (CADD) will also be presented.
Business scenarios. Companies do not only conduct applied research, they are also economic actors. Mergers, collaborations, acquisitions and failures come their way.
The evaluation consists of a written test that mainly contains multiple choice questions but also some open questions. These tests take place at the end of each lesson.
In addition, the students have to do some preparatory work in order to be able to participate in the course: they have to choose their company and research projects and they have to draw up a TPP (Target Product Profile). During the lectures, each student also receives a question to look up. The final score consists of 70% of the tests, 30% of the TPP and the research question.
For those who receive an insufficient score (i.e. less than 10 out of 20), there is the possibility of a written exam during the examination period. In that case, the final score will consist of the average of the score obtained during the year and the score of the examination.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
This course partly consists of a business simulation game with role-playing. Therefore attendance at each class is mandatory. The students set up a large or small company and choose their research projects. They then confront these research projects with reality and defend them against management. In the end, the firms choose the best research strategy. Along the way, success may be theirs, but they must also overcome failure and make decisions on which the patient's life or the survival of the company may depend.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Drug Development: AR without officinastage (only offered in Dutch)