Pharmaceutical Product Development

Capstone Courses

The capstone courses in pharmaceutical product development are a unique aspect of the program. These three in-depth courses, taken between the sophomore and senior years, present all aspects of the pharmaceutical industry. More importantly, these courses are taught by individuals who are expert in their fields and who are currently employed in the industry. Currently, representatives from large pharmaceutical firms and small biotech companies are participating in the program, including individuals from Absorption Systems, AstraZeneca, Centocor, Cephalon, Cytokine PharmaSciences, Endo Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, ICON Clinical Research, INC Research, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Polaris Clinical Writing Service, PPD Inc., ProMetrics, Renavatio Healthcare Communications, Shire, Tengion, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Viropharma, and Wyeth. As a result, students can obtain the most up-to-date information possible about this dynamic industry. The course content ranges from an introductory overview of the industry to more specific lectures in clinical studies, preclinical drug discovery and design, drug manufacture and formulation, and drug marketing and sales. By using industry experts as lecturers, the students receive not only basic information about pharmaceutical science, but also up-to-the-minute advances in this rapidly changing industry.

PPD481 - Drug Design I
This first course in a three-semester sequence provides an overview of the pharmaceutical industry and the drug development process, followed by and in-depth study of the clinical trials portion of this process. Statistical design used in trials for demonstrating drug safety and efficacy are discussed. The role of IRBs, informed consent, and other medical-legal issues are explored.

PPD482 - Drug Design II
A course emphasizing the final stages of drug development and the regulatory and medical affairs features of the process, including marketing and sales, manufacturing, and distribution of a drug.

PPD483 - Drug Design III
This course emphasizes the discovery portion of drug development and illustrates the major concepts in medicinal chemistry. The scientific tools used, such as high throughput screening, genomics, and computational chemistry, are considered. Criteria for making a compound workable as a drug are discussed, and the selection of the administration route is reviewed.

PPD484 - Pharmaceutical Internship I
A summer, paid internship experience with a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company. These internships are designed to provide experiences in key aspects of the pharmaceutical industry. Students will be supervised jointly by an on-site professional scientist and a member of the Pharmaceutical Product Development Program Committee.

PPD485 - Pharmaceutical Internship II
A second summer, paid internship experience with a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company. These internships are designed to provide experiences in key aspects of the pharmaceutical industry. This experience will be designed to complement the experience gained from PPD484. Students will be supervised jointly by an on-site professional scientist and a member of the Pharmaceutical Product Development Program Committee.