Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the module, students will have learnt about:
- The historical roots and evolution of the pharmaceutical revolution and associated biomedical sciences (microbiology, immunology, genetics, and biochemistry).
- The (post)colonial dimensions of pharmaceutical research and development.
- The rise and importance of regulatory science and clinical trials.
- The changing nature of intellectual property and concepts of innovation.
- The impact of (neo)capitalism, globalisation, and venture capital on pharmaceutical supply chains and access.
- The fallouts of the biomedical revolution in the form of pollution, lack of access, and overmedicalisation.
Indicative Module Content:
Structure:
Week 1 From snake oil to ethical drugs: the origins of Big Pharma.
Week 2 A virtuous circle of innovation: connecting the laboratory, factory, and clinic.
Week 3 Defining effectiveness: trialling vaccines and therapeutics on vulnerable populations.
Week 4 Magic Bullets: selective drug action and the origins of the antibiotic era.
Week 5 Global markets – Global access? Tracing the first wave of pharmaceutical globalisation in European, North American, and colonial territories.
Week 6 Heroes in white lab coats? Pharmaceutical companies, Cold War politics, and the golden age of drug innovation and marketing.
Week 7 Scandals, scares, and gold standards: reconstructing the rise of a new system of regulatory agencies, clinical trials, and substance testing.
Week 8 Reading Week
Week 9 Reading Week
Week 10 Molecularising the revolution: molecular biology, recombinant technologies, and the rise of the modern biotech sector.
Week 11 Outsourcing the revolution: venture capital, start-ups, generic manufacturing, and the reinvention of Big Pharma.
Week 12 Pioneering or Profiteering? Intellectual property, innovation, and antiretrovirals amidst the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Week 13 COVID-19: assessing the pharmaceutical response to the pandemic in light of history.