| CODE | PHB3506 |
| TITLE | From Bench to Market |
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course |
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable |
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 |
| DEPARTMENT | Physiology and Biochemistry |
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is designed to bridge the gap between laboratory discovery and commercial success. It provides a roadmap for bioscientists to understand the business, legal, and regulatory hurdles of the life sciences industry. The study unit will focus on the importance that early career bioscientists possess a combination of scientific expertise and business awareness to serve as highly valued links between the industrial research process and development /commercialization routes of market. As many science graduates lack even rudimentary business awareness, this study-unit is designed to prepare graduates for employment in the bioscience industry. Study-unit Aims: The aim of this study-unit is to help students recognise the commercial value of scientific research as well as to grasp the key points of how a commercial return on investment is generated by employers such as the pharmaceutical industry. Starting with proof of concept; the regulatory pathway; market analysis and pitching to investors; scaling and launch. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Evaluate various business structures suitable for life science startups; - Develop strategies for protecting intellectual property; - Analyze the stages of the innovation life cycle, from discovery to commercialization; - Design a sustainable business model and a supporting strategic plan; - Execute market research to identify unmet medical needs and target audiences; - Formulate realistic business budgets and financial forecasts; - Appraise different funding sources and strategies for raising finance in the biotech sector. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Prepare product summary; - Undertake market research; - Create a business budget; - Draft a basic IP strategy for a laboratory discovery; - Navigate the regulatory pathways for different product types; - Construct a pitch deck that balances scientific rigor with commercial viability. |
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Tutorial |
| LECTURER/S | Maria Azzopardi Byron Baron (Co-ord.) Marisa Cassar Malorie Galligan Nadir Gul Andras Havasi Christine Podrini Charles Saliba Pierre Schembri Wismayer Alessandro Silvestri Samy Tessier Marita Vella |
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|