Drug Discovery
Understand the elements involved in modern drug discovery.
This course is a part of
The course will give you a general comprehension of the elements involved in modern drug discovery from target discovery & validation, via ligand identification and optimization to animal disease models.
The course will thus increase your knowledge of the drug discovery process and give you a basis to engage in qualified discussions with colleagues working in drug discovery.
As an initial step in drug discovery, the target involved in a given disease has to be identified and validated, which will subsequently lead to design of ligands acting selectively in a desired fashion at the target. Finally, the lead candidates have to show efficacy in relevant animal disease models before the final candidate can enter pre-clinical studies. In the current course we will focus on the target identification and validation as well as the lead optimization processes.
Course content
The course consists of a mixture of lectures by a range of experts from the pharmaceutical industry and academia. You will thus gain knowledge integrating both theoretical and practical aspects. The course will include a practical workshop and feature a symposium with international speakers, highlighting specific drug discovery cases.
For more details about the course, please refer to the course curriculum.
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Stephan Pless had organised a whole symposium where external speakers came, and others could also come and listen. It was really well organised and showed both local and global breadth and depth.
Course director and lecturers on »Drug Discovery«
Course details for »Drug Discovery«
Dates and examination
Course dates
8–12 June 2026.
The course is available every other year.
Examination
Please find the exam dates in the exam plan.
Learning outcomes
The overall objective of the course is to provide the student with a general comprehension of the elements involved in modern drug discovery.
On completion of the course, you will be able to:
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demonstrate comprehension of target identification and validation methods and processes
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demonstrate insight into lead optimization methods and processes
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select important parameters for lead optimization and lead candidate progression
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conduct a valid scientific literature study in the area of drug discovery
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write a scientifically based report on drug discovery aspects using scientific literature.
Admission criteria
You must meet the following criteria to be admitted to this course:
- Hold a relevant bachelor degree or equivalent.
- Have a minimum 2 years of relevant job experience in drug development.
- Be proficient in English.
Find detailed information in the admission criteria on Master of Industrial Drug Development.
Priority is given to enrolled students
This course is offered as a compulsory course in the Master of Industrial Drug Development programme. Priority is given to students already enrolled. Once the enrolled students have been admitted to the course, the remaining seats are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tuition fees
EU/EEA citizens
14,450 DKK
Non-EU/EEA citizens
16,580 DKK
The fee includes lunch and coffee.
More information
All course information is available in the course curriculum:Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Department of Pharmacy and Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology
Universitetsparken 2
DK-2100 Copenhagen
