![[Dept. of Animal Sciences]](../../images/animalsciences.gif "[Dept. of Animal Sciences]"){kind=small}
Animal Pharmaceuticals: From Discovery to Market
16:340:616
(3 credits)
Course Instructor: Dr. Linda Rhodes (Adjunct Member of the Graduate Faculty)
Normally Offered: This course will be offered in Spring 2011. Future offerings of this course will depend on the instructor’s availability.
Prerequisites and Other Registration Restrictions: A course in animal physiology and one semester of general biochemistry are recommended. Qualified senior undergraduates (minimum of 90 credits and GPA of 3.0+) may register for the course with special permission of the instructor.
Format: The course will consist of lectures and interactive discussion, with some lectures given by visiting experts with career experience in the animal pharmaceutical industry. Students will be encouraged to actively participate in class discussion.
Description: This course will introduce students to concepts of animal drug discovery and development, including selecting drug targets, pharmacokinetics, determining safety and effectiveness, evaluations of safety of drug use in animals used for food, requirements for animal drug approval worldwide, basic drug manufacturing concepts, and the worldwide market for animal drugs. Real-world examples are used, and specialists from the animal pharmaceutical industry participate as visiting lecturers.
Key Goals: This course will help students understand the complexity and rigor of developing new drugs for animals and gain an appreciation for how drugs are used to keep animals healthy and treat disease. In addition, critical thinking will be developed during interactive class discussions, where students will be challenged to synthesize the information and ask thoughtful questions. Students will also improve their writing by completing several short writing assignments, as well as a semester-long writing project. The course will also give students an overview of a variety of career paths in the animal pharmaceutical industry and allow interaction and networking with research and development professionals from industry. Finally, differences in the drug research and development processes for human vs. animal drugs will be highlighted, and students will get an introduction to animal health regulatory processes (i.e., the requirements of how a drug is approved for market.)
Evaluation: The final grade for the course will be based on a final writing project, which involves choosing an animal drug and describing in depth the drug, its use, and the key data developed to achieve regulatory approval (40%); short writing assignments and some quizzes during the semester (30%); and class participation (30%).
Additional Information: Contact Dr. Linda Rhodes (email: lrhodes@alcherabio.com).