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BT5509: BIOLOGIC DRUG DISCOVERY (2024-2025)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 11:00


Course Overview

Biologic therapies represent one of the most important and novel areas of drug discovery in the 21st century. The aim of this course is to provide an insight into the success of protein, peptide or antibody based biologic therapies and to examine how this exciting new area will develop over the next decade.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Frank Ward

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Large protein or peptide based therapeutics, or biologics have an increasing influence on our ability to treat a range of complex disorders ranging from rare autoimmune diseases, through allergy and even difficult to treat cancers. This is an exciting, rapidly expanding area with several novel therapies being introduced each year. In most cases, the introduction of a novel biologic will offer new potential for treating a particular disease. Development of a biologic is difficult, but the rewards if successful are huge, with sales far in excess of $1billion per annum.

Biologics are different from small molecule drug options because typically they are designed with strong prior knowledge based around how they may alter the disease outcome. The course will address the challenges that specifically face developing biologic therapies including issues around clinical trial design, patient safety and legal issues with regard to developing biosimilar products.

We will use real clinical examples to examine a range of different types of biologic encompassing functional proteins, antibodies and peptides. There will be a strong focus on novel therapeutics that are currently close to market. Some of the material on this course will describe/discuss animal research.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 40
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Busines flyer assignment

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Oral Presentation: Group

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualRememberILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.

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