This course introduces students to the economic, regulatory, ethical and business considerations that influence innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry. Through team projects, students will be challenged to understand and solve key structural issues in innovation. For example, could biopharmaceuticals be “open sourced”? How should prescriptions be paid for? How should the industry be handling polypharmacy? How can the safety and efficacy of “personalized” medications be assured? Topics covered will include biopharmaceutical’s role in healthcare, the economics of biopharmaceuticals, drug development, intellectual property, regulatory issues, manufacturing, emerging technologies, and case studies. Upon course completion, students should understand how the industry is structured, and the barriers to innovation facing entrepreneurs, researchers, physicians, legislators and patients. While there are no technical prerequisites, the course projects are challenging, and will be more suitable for graduate and advanced undergraduate students. The course can be repeated for credit.
