Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management - Msc drafted

Program Overview

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Course summary

The rising global population and changing patterns of health, illness and disease are fuelling the demand for novel medicines and the professionals able to effectively manage what can be an expensive, challenging and risky process - from initial ideas through to successful market launch.

This exciting MSc in Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management has been designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to successfully project manage and lead the development of medicines, cosmetics and other bio-related products.

Drawing on the expertise within the School of Pharmacy and Keele Business School, it approaches biotechnology and pharmaceutical ventures from both a scientific and business development and management perspective, relating learning to real-life instances at every stage.

For example, one previous cohort analysed the process of developing surgical garment packaging, which was a huge issue at the height of the pandemic, while another examined in-depth the process and steps to get a vaccine from the lab to the clinic.

Building on your existing knowledge of chemistry, biology and other pharmaceutical sciences, you'll develop practical skills within the laboratory and learn to apply your knowledge in a pharmaceutical industry setting, for example, reviewing toxicology data, identifying antibodies or practising cell culture techniques. Such expertise is equally relevant and transferable to the emerging cosmeceutical, nutraceutical or bioceutical industries.

You'll be introduced to theories and models for make and buy decisions, transactional costing, buyer-supplier relationship and supply chains. You'll also study the global social, economic, cultural, political and technological conditions that shape long-term corporate strategy and short-term goals, such as as sustainability and ethical implications of business decisions.

Taught by staff with industry experience working for companies including Unilever and AstraZeneca, you'll gain a deeper insight into the inner workings of the pharmaceutical industry, developing an in-depth knowledge of quality assurance and the complex regulation that governs practices and market access.

You’ll then apply your learning to real-world problems as part of your final assessment, specialising in an area of interest on a project that can either be research or audit-based, relating to pharmaceutical development and business management. One of our previous students examined an anti-ageing product, another looked at regulatory processes within vaccine development, while others looked at the effects of antioxidants on colon cancer cell models.

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Other courses you might be interested in:

Advanced Professional Practice (Pharmacy)

MSc Clinical Pharmacy Practice

MSc Pharmacy (Professional MSc)

Program Outline

Course structure

The MSc in Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management is studied full-time over one year, starting in September, split into three equal-credit semesters.

The first semester aims to equip you with the necessary business skills and integrate this with the pharmaceutical science knowledge needed in product development and management. You will undertake two 15-credit modules learning alongside other business students, together with a

Product Development and Management

module that integrates business aspects with the applied pharmaceutical sciences, developing a blended skillset that will help set you apart on the job market.

The second semester continues to build on this knowledge, but also has more laboratory-based modules to allow you to develop your laboratory skills and demonstrate how well you are able to apply the necessary pharmaceutical knowledge required within each session.

The

Development of Biopharmaceuticals

module recognises the importance of biopharmaceuticals within the pharma industry, preparing you to contribute to this growing market upon graduation. According to global consultants McKinsey, biopharmaceuticals could become the core of the future pharmaceutical industry. By far the fastest-growing part of the industry: biopharma’s current annual growth rate of more than 8% is double that of conventional pharma, and growth is expected to continue at that rate for the foreseeable future.

The final semester allows you to specialise into an area of your interest with a project that can either be research or audit based, in an appropriate subject relating to pharmaceutical development and business management.

You will complete 180 credits to obtain the master’s qualification, comprising seven compulsory modules, including the core

Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management Project

(60 credits).

There are also two interim awards available, depending on how many modules (and credits) have been successfully completed: a Postgraduate Certificate for 60 credits to include the

Product Development and Management

module; and a Postgraduate Diploma for 120 credits to include all taught modules.

There’s never been a better time to study a postgraduate course at Keele. Our alumni can get a 20% discount off postgraduate tuition fees, and that’s in addition to student loans for UK students that are now available through Student Finance England.

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Core modules

PHA-40173 Product Development and Management (30 credits, Semester 1)

This interdisciplinary module aims to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of the processes and underpinning principles that are involved in product development and bringing a product into market. It covers the pharmaceutical development process, from the core principles in pharmaceutical science, through technology, processes and associated tools in product development from launch to post-market life cycle management in the context of appropriate regulatory frameworks.

MAN-40114 International Business Context (15 credits, Semester 1)

The purpose of this module is to introduce theories around globalisation, international trade and investment. It offers insight into a range of economic, political, technological processes that influence and are influenced by international business activities. You will develop a solid understanding of basic theories underlying the importance of international trade and investment, enhancing your understanding of current events and their impacts.

MAN-40110 International Operations and Supply (15 credits, Semester 1)

Explores how international operations and supply networks are designed, managed, controlled and adapted for different locations in the world. Covers the fundamental principles, emergent models from around the world, and current best practices in operations, procurement, supply and logistics management. Encourages critical thinking in the management of international operations and supply.

PHA-401743 Applied Pharmaceutical Analysis (30 credits, Semester 2)

To produce new safe and effective pharmaceutical products, scientists need to understand the properties of different chemical entities, their formulation, and their activities. On this module, you'll explore a variety of the analytical techniques employed to establish this, considering a range of important aspects relevant for the overall assessment of pharmaceutical products. You will learn to appreciate and apply existing analytical approaches in the pharmaceutical industry and propose strategies to improve current approaches as well as for novel pharmaceutical products.

PHA-40169 Quality by Design (15 credits, Semester 2)

Quality by Design (QbD) is developed on the concept that quality should be designed into a product as most issues that arise relate to poor product design. QbD began to be adopted by pharmaceutical companies as the industry recognised that increasing testing does not always lead to improvement in product quality. This module mirrors the QbD processes adopted in pharmaceutical formulation and manufacture, beginning by defining a target product quality profile, then establishing key production parameters and a control protocol for the development processes.

PHA-40190 Development of Biopharmaceuticals (15 credits, Semester 2)

Recombinant protein therapeutic agents have a profound impact on the treatment of many diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, haemophillia and cancer. The knowledge of recombinant D technology and cell biology has allowed for the large scale, commercial production of such recombinant proteins. Recombinant proteins have also played a role in drug discovery research and been engineering to improve stability and modified biological actions. This module aims to equip students with the fundamental knowledge and skills required to pursue a career in protein science. You'll also gain hands-on experience working with laboratory instruments that are also used by the pharmaceutical industry.

PHA-40171 Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management Project (60 credits, Semester 3)

This module offers the opportunity for you to specialise in a subject area of your choice and apply the theory learnt throughout the course, developing transferable research skills. Project options range from the core science areas of pharmaceutics, chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, recombinant protein expression, or relevant business-focused projects or audits. We would also allow you to conduct this semester with companies if you are successful in securing your own research/audit position. Past student projects have included a toxicology study, assessment of an anti-aging product and a computational chemistry project.

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Your career

Our course has been purposefully designed to meet the needs of the international pharmaceutical industry by producing graduates who are pharmaceutically aware, have the ability to think critically and creatively, and also have significant knowledge and understanding of business and management.

You'll graduate with broad, solution-focused knowledge of applied pharmaceutical sciences and the business insight essential to participate and manage global product development teams within the pharmaceutical industry, biopharmaceuticals, the cosmetic or food industry.

If you already work within the pharmaceutical or manufacturing industry, this course could provide a springboard for management positions and greater responsibility as a team or project leader. You could go on to pursue careers in research, clinical trials, drug formulation and analysis, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, quality control, drug manufacturing, risk management, sales, project management and/or product design.

The specialist research skills you learn also provide a strong foundation for pursuing further study at doctoral level for those interested in doing so.

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Positions may include:

Design support officer

Development engineer

Process engineer

Manufacturing specialist

Medical design engineer

Product developer

Product designer

Research scientist

Sales representative (medical technology)

Scientist

Senior Scientist (R&D)

Technician

Academic

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Our expertise

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Teaching staff

Research within the School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering bridges the interface between new advances in science and technology with medicine and clinical practice, bringing together biological scientists, physicists, chemists, engineers, mathematicians and clinicians. Our exceptional track record in bench and bedside regenerative medicine research builds on the reputation and success of the former Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine (ISTM) which has now integrated within the School.

The School enjoys strong links to major employers such as Well, Boots and the National Health Service. It is a tight-knit community of undergraduate and postgraduate students, led by a team of academics with experience of working within a variety of pharmacy sectors and supported by a dedicate team of administrators, IT technicians and Learning Technology Officers. Together, we are committed to providing you with the best possible educational experience in a friendly setting; much like the ethos Keele University was founded on – the pursuit of truth in the company of friends. We embrace teaching innovation and adopt a variety of teaching and learning methods to enhance your experience with us at Keele.

Lecture sessions are led by academics with experience working for companies including Astra Zeneca, Unilever and Novo Nordisk, as well as other medium-sized pharmaceutical science companies. They aim to provide you with a wide knowledge base during your studies, capitalising on their diverse backgrounds.

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Teaching team includes:

Dr Szu Shen Wong (Programme Director), Lecturer – A UK registered pharmacist and biophysicist by training, Szu has a background in community, hospital, academia and industrial pharmacy, having worked within the pharmacy sector in Malaysia, Denmark and the UK. Her research interests are predominantly in thrombosis and haemostasis with a focus on coagulation factors – specifically coagulation factor XI. However, multidisciplinary research interests include the history of medical saints (in particular, Saints Cosmas and Damian) and how they influenced the practice of pharmacy and art.

Dr Gary Moss, Senior Lecturer – Prior to joining Keele in 2010, Gary worked in industry as scientist for Unilever Research and also held a number of academic posts. His main research interests are in percutaneous absorption, particularly in the development of quantitative models of skin absorption, the percutaneous absorption of metals and the use of skin imaging techniques to understand the mechanism of skin permeation enhancement.

Dr Patricia Regazzon, Senior Lecturer – Patrician benefits from extensive academic and industry experience, including time spent specialising in biophysical studies of drug-D interactions, working in the US-based Brown Cancer Center. Her research interests are based on discovery and therapeutic development. As a trained chemist, she has developed small molecules as well as aptamers for treating different conditions, including cancer, inflammation, and infection. She has also worked on natural products extraction and characterisation.

Dr David Mottershead, Lecturer – David has taught and conducted research at institutions in Australia, Finland, the USA and the UK, taking up his role at Keele in 2016. His research focuses on two growth factors produced by oocytes which are essential for fertility in mammals (GDF9 and BMP15), and the development of novel forms with applications for infertility treatment.

Professor Peter Ogrodnik, Senior Lecturer and Head of Orthopaedics and Biomechanics Research Group – a Chartered Mechanical Engineer, Peter has conducted research into optimising the treatment of tibial fractures for over 20 years. Having founded two medical device companies himself, he has enhanced the application of engineering design principles to the solution of medical devices and his book

Medical Devices Design

is a core text in core R&D departments. In 2021, he received the

Inspire, Support, Achieve Award

from the Institution of Engineering Designers for his work to establish the charity

ENG4

, providing engineering solutions relating to healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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