Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module looks at how new cancer medicines are developed, marketed and introduced into clinical practice. The wider context of the impact new concepts in personalized health care and new medicine technologies will be evaluated, including CAR-T and novel biological therapies

Outline Of Syllabus

Topics covered:

•       Product Development 1: Challenges, Barriers and Benefits.
•       Product Development 2: Phase I/II/III/IV trials are they still relevant?
•       Product Development 3: Personalized Medicine and Biomarkers
•       Product Development 4: Genomics, Precision Medicine and Tissue Agnostic Treatments
•       Product Development 5: Marketing and Promotion
•       Innovation 1: Biosimilars & new formulations
•       Innovation 2: Developments in Immunotherapies
•       Innovation 3: CAR-T and cellular therapies: Part 1
•       Innovation 3: CAR-T and cellular therapies: Part 2
•       Innovation 4: Round up of new therapies: Part 1
•       Innovation 4: Round up of new therapies: Part 2

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completion of this module students should be able to:
•Demonstrate an understanding of the interface between the pharmaceutical industry and health care professionals
•Critically appraise the changing medical cancer paradigm and concept of personalised medicine
•Demonstrate an understanding of the different parts of a cancer treatment’s journey by deconstructing the journey into its constituent parts
•Critically appraise the interaction between clinical, financial and organisational structures in cancer treatment.
•Critically examine the interface between the pharmaceutical industry and health care professionals
•Evaluate barriers and challenges associated with introducing new drugs.

Intended Skill Outcomes

On completion of this module student should be able to:
•       Prepare an implementation plan for a new cancer technology
•       Understand the pathway for innovative medicines to be introduced into practice
•       Understand ATMPs and other innovative cancer medicines

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Through a series of online tutorials and weekly activities as well as private study (including directed reading) students will gain a detailed knowledge of understanding of how cancer medicines reach patients in the ‘real world’, gain insight into the development and use of innovative technologies and understand challenges faced by health systems in introducing these medicines.

Students are encouraged to participate in online collaborative discussions via the discussion boards so they can help debate current practices and the reflective journal will help to consolidate their understanding of the curriculum.

Student's responses to the activities will be posted on the discussion board on blackboard (used for online discussion) to foster dialogue between students and the instructors. The instructors will monitor and comment on all student responses to the activities to help with the consolidation of
knowledge and understanding of the learning outcomes.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

This assessment strategy is designed to allow the students' to demonstrate a depth of knowledge in a focused topic of a non-prescriptive aspect of cancer management.

The short essay question is designed to assess the students' knowledge and understanding across the breadth of all topics covered in the module. Students must achieve a mark of 50 or above in this assessment in order to pass the module overall.

A participation grade is included to encourage and reward the student's engagement with the collaborative activities.

Should a student fail the participation assessment and have to undertake a re-sit they will have to complete a different form of assessment. The student will be asked to look at 2 participation activities as identified by the module leader/team and submit a 500 word written summary (approx. 250 words per activity).

General Notes

N/A