Drug Development (Coursera)

Drug Development (Coursera)

The University of California San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Drug Development course brings you lectures from both faculty and industry experts. With this course, recorded on campus at UCSD, we seek to share our access to top people in the field who bring an unprecedented range of expertise on drug development. In this course you will learn the different stages of clinical development as well as the regulatory including but not limited to, an Investigational New Drug Application (IND), New Drug Application (NDA), and product labeling.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Additionally you will learn how to Incorporate study design methods for consideration in the design of clinical protocols to assess safety, tolerability, and efficacy in multiple therapeutic areas.
In this course you will learn the different phases of clinical development:

  • Phase 1 or early stage clinical trial are conducted primar­ily to determine how the new drug works in humans, its safety profile and to predict its dosage range. It typically involves between 30 and 100 healthy volunteers.
  • Phase 2 or Proof of Concept POC studies test for efficacy as well as safety and side effects in a group of between 30 to 200 hundred patients with the disease for which the new drug is being developed.
  • Phase 3 or late stage clinical development involve much larger group of patients, between a few hundred to thousands, depending on the indication, which will help determine if the new drug can be considered both safe and effective. It will involve control groups using placebo and/or current treatment as a comparison.
  • Product registration and approval process after a drug is considered safe and effective from Phase 3 trials, it must be authorized in each individual country before it can be marketed. All data gen­erated about the small molecule or biologic is collected and submitted to the regulatory authorities in the US at the FDA, Food and Drug Administration FDA, in Europe the EMA or European Medicines Agency, Japan Ministry of Health and other countries which may require their own national approvals.

Course 2 of 3 in the Drug Development Product Management Specialization.
This course is intended as part 2 of a series: Drug Discovery, Drug Development and Drug Commercialization. We would highly recommend that you take the courses in order since it will give you a better understanding on how a drug is discovered in the lab before being tested in clinical trials and then launched in the market place.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Welcome!
Regulatory Considerations When Filing an Investigational New Drug Application, Susan Trieu, Pharm.D.
This week we hear from Dr. Susan Trieu, who in her 12+ years in the industry has worked in regulatory affairs. Since then, Dr. Trieu has gone on to work in Industry at MedImpact as their Drug Information Pharmacist.
Clinical Study & Start-up Activities, Joseph Ma, Pharm.D.
This module is presented by Dr. Joseph Ma, Associate Professor in the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

WEEK 2
Clinical Trials: Phase 1, Yazdi Pithavala, Ph.D.
This module we will hear from Dr. Yazdi Pithavala, Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacology at Pfizer.
Clinical Trials: Phase 2, Kourosh Parivar, M.Pharm.
Next we hear from Kourosh Parivar, M. Pharm, Vice President & Head, Clinical Pharmacology at Pfizer

WEEK 3
Industry Consid
New Drug Application, Filing, Product Labeling, Kelly Hogan, Pharm.D.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Pharmacy Technician Essentials (Coursera) Coursera
MedCerts

Pharmacy Technician Essentials (Coursera)

The Pharmacy Technician Essentials course provides an in-depth look at what a career in a pharmacy will look like. Through several lessons, students learn the ins and outs of a pharmacy setting and the meaning of the terminology used daily within a pharmacy environment. This course also provides a deep dive into the purpose of the top 200 most commonly prescribed medications and drug routes and formulations.

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks
Fundamentals of Good Clinical Practice: Prep and Personnel (Coursera) Coursera
Novartis

Fundamentals of Good Clinical Practice: Prep and Personnel (Coursera)

Welcome to 'Fundamentals of Good Clinical Practice: Prep and Personnel'! This course is designed to introduce you to preparing for a clinical trial. This is Course Two in the Clinical Trial Teams series - the first course 'Introduction to Good Clinical Practice' provides background on what clinical trials are as well as the basic principles and practices of GCP. If you are new to the world of clinical research, we suggest starting your journey with Course One.

Nov 2nd 2026
3 Weeks
Industrial Biotechnology (edX) EdX
Delft University of Technology,DelftX

Industrial Biotechnology (edX)

Learn the basics of sustainable processing for biobased products to further understand their impact on global sustainability. As fossil-based fuels and raw materials contribute to climate change, the use of renewable materials and energy as an alternative is increasingly important and common. This transition is not a luxury, but rather a necessity.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Essentials of Good Pharmacy Practice: The Basics (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Taipei Medical University

Essentials of Good Pharmacy Practice: The Basics (FutureLearn)

Discover the essential elements of the Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) guidelines and how they support better pharmaceutical services. This course provides pharmacists with some essential knowledge to provide better pharmaceutical services and professional abilities, related to the World Health Organisation’s Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) recommendations.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Introduction to Translational Research: Connecting Scientists and Medical Doctors (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Taipei Medical University

Introduction to Translational Research: Connecting Scientists and Medical Doctors (FutureLearn)

Understand the emerging discipline of translational medicine and the process of taking research from ‘benchside’ to ‘bedside'. Translational medicine, also known as translational science or translational research, is a new, growing discipline in medicine that aims to ensure research flows from ‘benchside’ to ‘bedside’.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Patenting in Biotechnology (Coursera) Coursera
Technical University of Denmark - DTU,Copenhagen Business School

Patenting in Biotechnology (Coursera)

Far too often, researchers are misinformed about the role and the possibilities arising around patents and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). In this course we will teach you what IPR are - with a special focus on patents. Also this course will look at the importance of patents in the world of biotechnology - and what you actually can patent. Should your research be protected? Can your research even be protected? There are a lot of misunderstandings about patents, so first step is to know what patents really are and how they work. Then we will introduce how and when to apply for them.

Feb 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Ethical Issues in Computing Applications (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

Ethical Issues in Computing Applications (Coursera)

Computing systems and technologies fundamentally impact the lives of most people in the world, including how we communicate, get information, socialize, and receive healthcare. This course is the third of a three course sequence that examines ethical issues in the design and implementation of computing systems and technologies, and reflects upon the broad implication of computing on our society. It covers medical applications, uses of robotics, autonomous vehicles, and the future of work.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Drug Commercialization (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, San Diego

Drug Commercialization (Coursera)

The University of California San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Drug Commercialization course brings you lectures from both faculty and industry experts. With this course, recorded on campus at UCSD, we seek to share our access to top people in the field who bring an unprecedented range of expertise on drug commercialization. This course will cover pharmacoeconomic, marketing strategy, intellectual property strategy, portfolio management, managed markets and strategic alliances. It will also have a lecture case study from startup to success.

Nov 9th 2026
4 Weeks
Introduction to Small Molecule Drug Discovery & Development (Coursera) Coursera
University of Cape Town

Introduction to Small Molecule Drug Discovery & Development (Coursera)

What does it take to advance a new drug from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside? Historically, drugs were discovered serendipitously and were usually isolated from natural sources. Today, drug discovery efforts take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. They also require the input of dozens of specialists from a multitude of backgrounds to ensure that therapeutic molecules are efficacious and safe.

Nov 9th 2026
4 Weeks
Drugs, drug use, drug policy and health (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

Drugs, drug use, drug policy and health (Coursera)

This MOOC is the first of its kind, since it addresses critical issues related to drugs from a multidisciplinary, health and human rights-based approach. Throughout the course you will cover a range of questions including what are drugs and why they controlled? What are the benefits and harms of taking drugs? How public health policies can address drug use?

Nov 9th 2026
5-12 Weeks