Industrial Pharmaceutical Chemistry - from Laboratory to Market, MSc

University of Aberdeen

This programme takes you through the steps and processes which pharmaceutical companies must complete in order to launch a new product. Lab-based studies operate on a small scale (1 g or less), however, in order to launch a new pharmaceutical product, chemists need to be able to prepare a compound on a kg or tonne scale. This programme focuses on how we achieve this process within the confines of a legal framework.

The process of drug discovery and development (i.e. getting new drugs from the laboratory bench to market) involves a complex scientific process and rigorous regulatory framework. While chemistry graduates generally possess the required chemical knowledge and the ability to perform laboratory work on a small scale, feedback from our industry partners has revealed a skills gap in the understanding of how a laboratory process is taken from bench to market.

This MSc programme is designed to address the need of industry-ready graduates by covering the key processes involved in developing marketed products, including scale-up, product formulation and clinical trials.

The UK is a world leader in medical research and innovation and the biopharmaceutical industry is one of the largest sectors in the UK for high-value jobs. Students will benefit from a high level of industry engagement, including guest lectures, site visits, and opportunities for industry-supported projects.

The Industrial Pharmaceutical Chemistry - from Laboratory to Market programme builds on our direct experience gained from TauRx Therapeutics, a spin-out company from the University of Aberdeen, which has become a world leader in Alzheimer's disease research.

The Department of Chemistry also attracts significant funding from bodies including the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Breast Cancer Campaign, and the pharmaceutical industry for our research in medicinal chemistry and we host one of the few Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certified laboratories in the UK for the analysis of drug metabolites in physiological fluids.

Pharmaceutical drug development is a major part of the pharmaceutical industry. Graduates of this programme are qualified to pursue careers in the development of drugs or other therapeutic or cosmetic products.