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 Fever trees, poisons & active principles - the emergence of modern pharmaceuticals
Week 2 From snake oil to pharma: patents, trademarks, and ethical drugs.
Week 3 A virtuous circle of innovation? Connecting the laboratory, factory, and clinic.
Week 4 Defining effectiveness: testing and trialling vaccines and therapeutics on vulnerable populations.
Week 5 Magic Bullets: selective drug action and the origins of the antibiotic era.
Week 6 Global markets – Global access? Tracing the first wave of pharmaceutical globalisation
Week 7 Mother's Little Helper? Pharmaceutical companies and the 'golden age' of drug innovation and marketing.
Week 8 Reading Week
Week 9 Reading Week
Week 10 Scandals, scares, and gold standards: reconstructing the rise of a new system of regulatory agencies, clinical trials, and substance testing.
Week 11 Pharma 2.0: biotech, generics, and the outsourcing of pharmaceutical production.
Week 12 Pioneering or Profiteering? Intellectual property, innovation, and antiretrovirals amidst the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Week 13 From financial to societal value. A new turn of pharmaceutical business models?/ Laboratory Visit Siobhán McClean