Pre-formulation
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Pre-formulation
This course is part of Drug Hunting: The Science of Making New Medicines Specialization
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14 assignments
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There are 3 modules in this course
In this course we will focus on how active compounds are developed into a formulation suitable for dosing in animal studies and early human clinical trials. Factors such as the route of administration, enhancing the solubility of the drug substance, the crystalline form of the drug substance, drug substance vs. drug product, storage requirements, and how special requirements of the patient population play a role in the design of an ideal formulation will be covered. Finally, some of the differences encountered when formulating a biologic vs. a small molecule will be discussed.
Target audience: This course is suitable for life scientists, clinicians, and individuals from fields that support drug discovery (e.g., patents, finance, licensing, etc.) interested in learning more about the pharmaceutical/biotechnology sector. Advanced undergraduate coursework or practical familiarity/working knowledge in biological sciences and organic chemistry is recommended.
Welcome, by the end of the course students will be able to: Define the concepts of formulation, drug substance, and drug product. Describe the role of pre-formulation in drug discovery and its impact on route of administration selection. List and explain the importance of physicochemical properties in drug discovery and development. Compare and contrast the pre-formulation considerations for small molecule drugs and biologics.
What's included
4 videos1 reading3 assignments
4 videos•Total 21 minutes
- Course Welcome•1 minute
- Interview with Stephanie Dodd, TRD•11 minutes
- Introduction•4 minutes
- Physicochemical Properties•5 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Physicochemical properties•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 75 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Untitled•15 minutes
What's included
5 videos6 assignments
5 videos•Total 25 minutes
- Routes of Administration•4 minutes
- Drug Product•5 minutes
- Classification Systems•5 minutes
- Crystallization•6 minutes
- Drug Substance Stability•5 minutes
6 assignments•Total 180 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Assessment•30 minutes
What's included
5 videos5 assignments
5 videos•Total 20 minutes
- Drug Product Stability•4 minutes
- Impurities•5 minutes
- Clinical Formulation Development•6 minutes
- Biologics•4 minutes
- Course Farewell•1 minute
5 assignments•Total 160 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check•30 minutes
- Assessment•40 minutes
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Instructors
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Reviewed on Jul 2, 2025
This course is well-structured to help people understand the drug development process
Frequently asked questions
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Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
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Financial aid available,