Main Page  |    Schedule  |  Faculty Contact

GSND 5320Q: Pharmacology of Drug Marketing

Spring 2013 – January 6, 2014 to April 28, 2014
Mondays from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course will help bridge the gap between science theory and practice in modern pharmaceutical and biotechnology business using major blockbuster drug launches over the past 20 years as examples.

Each class will focus in a single therapeutic area (e.g., Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, bipolar disorder, venous thrombosis) and will be divided into two sections:

First, a review of relevant pharmacological principles (eg., pharmacodynamics/MOA, pharmacokinetics, toxicology).

Followed by case examples of how specific product marketing battles were fought for differentiation and market share.  

Textbook:

Weekly reading assignments will be given from “The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (12th Edition) hardcopy or online versions with readings corresponding to specific issues covered in each lecture.  Students will be expected to come to class having read the assigned pages with a basic understanding of the pharmacological principles to be covered (which will be reviewed at the beginning of each class).  This text is expensive, so earlier and/or used editions are acceptable.

Method of Instruction:

This course will be lecture/discussion-based using PowerPoint slides that will be posted on the course website and /or emailed to each registered student as a black and white PDF file prior to each class.  Assigned readings from the course textbook will provide the student with the basic information required to follow the clinical cases each week.  Students will be expected to be conversant in the basic pharmacological concepts and drugs as they relate to drug marketing campaigns discussed in class and their application to clinical cases, controversies, and data interpretation.

Course Evaluation:

Regular attendance and active classroom participation/discussion demonstrating understanding of assigned reading –30%

Mid-term exam – 30%

Final: live case presentation (students to work in pairs), slides, references – 40%