Almost every American takes a drug every day – some for lifesaving purposes for cardiovascular disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, asthma, and lipid-lowering; some for self care such as cavity preventive toothpastes and headache, allergy and cold remedies. UCSF School of Pharmacy faculty experts in the fields of drug discovery, personalized medicine, drug delivery systems and the drug approval process will traverse the landscape of pharmaceutical discovery and innovations from modern day origins to anticipated future applications.
October 25
How Drugs Are Discovered
Brian Shoichet, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical chemistry
Learn how the innovators think about developing cures for life-threatening conditions, explore the barriers to innovation, and the future outlook for hi-tech solutions to this highly competitive field.
November 1
Innovations in Drug Delivery: Getting Drugs to Their Targets in the Body
Frank Szoka, PhD, professor of biopharmaceutical sciences
Find out about the scientific basis for the delivery of drugs to selected sites in the body, why this field of knowledge is vital to optimizing clinical outcomes, and what to expect in the future.
November 8
The Tightrope of Drug Approval
R. William Soller, PhD, professor of clinical pharmacy
Explore the delicate balance of scientific, economic and political forces shaping the development of drugs and their approval. Learn how the patient perspective has driven change in the FDA. Find out what’s amiss in the drug approval process that contributed to some of the recent celebrated drug safety problems.
November 15
Pitfalls and Benefits of Drug Advertising and Promotion
R. William Soller, PhD, professor of clinical pharmacy
Learn about the legal and regulatory basis for drug advertising and promotion. Explore the consumer demand for information by this channel of communication and the associated ethical and social values. Debate the benefits and risks of direct to consumer advertising.
November 29
Personalized Medicine: The Possibilities of Drugs Tailored to Your Genetic Makeup
Deanna Kroetz, PhD, professor of biopharmaceutical sciences
Heralded as the future of medicine, personalized medicines seem to be the answer for making therapeutics more likely to be highly effective and safer. Learn about medicine’s progress in attempting to achieve this goal. Find out about the innovative discoveries of macromolecular therapeutics, their promise, their limitations.
December 6
Open Dialogue on Current Controversies and Hot Topics
Lorie Rice, MPH; associate dean, external affairs; R. William Soller, PhD; B. Joseph Guglielmo, PharmD, clinical professor, clinical pharmacy; and other faculty
Faculty experts will explore additional issues not covered in the five lectures. Participants will be asked to submit questions on topics of interest, such as Medicare Part D, drug importation, side effects, drug interactions and other topics.
