DRUG DISCOVERY FOR A NEW AGE - 2021/2

Module Overview

In this module students will be presented with a number of industrially relevant therapy areas and drug targets and will work to develop a target portfolio review, which they will then present back to industrial experts in a bid for funding for the project.

 

Students will be expected to investigate and discuss:

• The expression and tissue distribution of the target.


• Molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways relevant to the therapy area and molecular target.


• Structure and function of target, and likely therapeutic solutions ranging from small molecule to antibody therapy.


• Suitable experimental models for evaluation of efficacy.


• Suitable experimental models for evaluation of safety.


• Preclinical development plans


• Clinical development through to possible market approval.


• Appreciation of time scales and costings for the whole Drug Discovery and development process.

Module provider

School of Biosciences and Medicine

Module Leader

TRINDER Sarah (Biosc & Med)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content may include:

Students will be expected to investigate and discuss:

• The expression and tissue distribution of the target.


• Molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways relevant to the therapy area and molecular target.


• Structure and function of target, and likely therapeutic solutions ranging from small molecule to antibody therapy.


• Suitable experimental models for evaluation of efficacy.


• Suitable experimental models for evaluation of safety.


• Preclinical development plans


• Clinical development through to possible market approval.


• Appreciation of time scales and costings for the whole Drug Discovery and development process.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

Team based communication skills, professionalism and presentation skills and

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Comprehensive 1 hr Dragons Den presentation of the target portfolio review with written commentary (60%).


• Reflection and evaluation of group and individual performance, project progress and development and feedback from the presentations (20%).


• Assessment of the individual's performance and contribution to the project by academics (20%).

 





Unit of assessment and weighting


Module learning outcomes met




Comprehensive 1 hr Dragons Den presentation of the target portfolio review with written commentary (60%)


1, 2, 3, 4, 5




Reflection and evaluation of group and individual performance, project progress and development and feedback from the presentations (20%)


1, 2, 4



Assessment of the individual's performance and contribution to the project by academics (20%)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5




Formative assessment

In class feedback, discussion and online engagement with discussion boards and blended material.

 

Feedback

In class feedback, discussion and online engagement with discussion boards and blended material.

Module aims

• 1. Develop and appreciation for the industrial considerations of duration and expense involved in bringing a new therapy to market.
• 2. Apply the principles of pharmacology and physiology to the disease area and concepts of likely outcomes and overall effects
• 3. Identify experimental models and evaluate their suitability and limitations in the context of drug efficacy and safety
• 4. Development of professionalism and presentation skills in delivering a bid for funding.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Provide a flipped learning environment, where teams of students work with industrial colleagues and academic facilitators to cover a broad range of target-based data and drug parameters.  Students will engage with a blended learning approach to facilitate communications with off-site experts, and will initially work with provided materials and then enhance this with research of their own.

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

 

Flipped classroom workshops (tutorials)- 32 hours in which the students will examine case studies of the different processes and consider how to apply them to their own process.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMSM026

Other information

None.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.