UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

MPS5204 Drug discovery and development: The next step

Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

MPS5204 Drug discovery and development: The next step is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, offered in 2022 in Semester 2 at Parkville. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2022
Semester 2
Parkville
Assessment
No exam
5 tasks

This is the 2022 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Overview

This unit takes you on a journey into real-life drug development challenges. The unit will utilise the target product profile (TPP) as the framework for exploring and understanding the challenges of translating a potential drug discovered at “the bench” into a registered medication for clinical use. Through a range of individual and group tasks, you will combine information and frameworks provided with your own inquiry to develop a holistic approach to evaluate the key milestones required for drug development, including the consideration of such things as intellectual property and patents, ethical and sustainable practices, regulatory considerations and financial factors. Cases will focus on modern drug discovery challenges and methodologies, including drug-repurposing development pathways, and will offer you the opportunity to present and interact with genuine pharmaceutical industry drug developers. You will present your evaluations via a variety of oral and written formats.

At the completion of the unit, you will have an extensive understanding of the key challenges of drug development and the purpose of a TPP, giving you a tool kit you can use to propose strategies for drug development and regulatory approval that you might encounter in you professional career.

Offerings in 2022

Teaching periodCampusMode
Second semesterParkvilleOn campus

Assessment

  • Workshop assessmentCompetency hurdle
    20%
  • Case 1 team report
    10%
  • Case 2 individual viva
    10%
  • Case 3 team report
    30%
  • Case 4 individual viva
    30%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Critically investigate the process of modern drug development utilising the target product profile as a guiding framework

  2. 2

    Present a logical and nuanced understanding of the impact of ethical and sustainable practices, regulatory considerations and financial factors on the development of new pharmaceutical products

  3. 3

    Evaluate and report on how contemporary technologies and approaches can be used to expedite the development of novel pharmaceutical agents for existing diseases and those of emerging importance

  4. 4

    Use effective oral communication to present and defend an informed evaluation of examples of drug development

  5. 5

    Demonstrate effective teamwork practices within the context of a group report.

Workload and teaching

  • Applied sessions12 hours
  • Workshops24 hours
  • Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
  • Teaching approachOnline learning
  • Teaching approachEnquiry-based learning
  • Teaching approachActive learning
  • Teaching approachCase-based teaching
  • 24 hours of preparation for classes
  • Twelve 1-hour applied classes
  • Twelve 2-hour workshops
  • 72 hours of independent study
  • 12 hours of group work

Learning resources

Technology resources

This unit requires access to a laptop that meets minimum specifications. Free specialist software is available via MoVE.

Contacts

Unit Coordinators
Professor Carl Kirkpatrick
Chief Examiners
Professor Carl Kirkpatrick

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for MPS5204?

MPS5204 has no prerequisites.

When is MPS5204 offered?

In 2022, MPS5204 runs in Semester 2 at Parkville.

Does MPS5204 have an exam?

No. MPS5204 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 2
Study abroad
Not available
Handbook years
202220232024202520262027