HMX Pro Pharmacology
Drug Discovery
Advance your career with a Harvard Medical School certificate – online.
“I found the visualization and explanation really helpful.”
Pi-Chuan Chang
Google Health
The field of drug discovery and development is multifaceted and evolving quickly, allowing researchers to continually expand their toolkit of therapeutic modalities to treat and manage diseases.
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of various drug modalities, including small molecules, cell therapies, and protein and nucleic acid therapeutics, and provides learners with the tools to navigate the foundational and cutting-edge methodologies in developing novel therapeutics.
This advanced course offers a unique way for professionals to learn from leading Harvard Medical School faculty and experts in the field about the processes of drug discovery.
Get more information on this exciting learning opportunity:
Course Information
Upcoming course periods
April 15 – June 27, 2025 | Apply now through April 8 for Pro courses
June 3 – August 15, 2025 | Application opens March 26
September 2 – November 14, 2025 | Application opens May 14
Course length
The course period is 10 weeks long. New lessons are released weekly, and material remains available until the course closes. Expect to spend a total of 15-20 hours for this course.
Course cost
US$995 for an individual course
Think others at your company would be interested? We offer group discounts and direct enrollment options – contact us to learn more.
Course Topics
Overview of Drug Discovery
- The Promise of Drug Discovery
Discovery of Small Molecule Drugs
- In Focus: How TPP and IND Guide and Frame Drug Discovery
- Local Administration for Systemic Effect
- Local Administration for Local Effect
- Systemic Administration for Systemic Effect
- Systemic Administration for Local Effect
- Clinical Linkage: Closed Loop Systems
- In Focus: Spectroscopy Methods
- Clinical Linkage: Discovery of Small Molecule Protein Degraders
Discovery of Biologics and Nucleic Acid Therapeutics
- Naturally Occurring Proteins
- Step-by-Step: Protein Purification
- Discovery of Monoclonal Antibodies
- In Focus: Phage Display
- Pharmacokinetics of Protein Therapeutics
- Creative Proteins
- Overview of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics
- Discovery of siRNA Therapeutics
- Discovery of PMO Exon Skippers
- Discovery of mRNA Therapeutics
- Clinical Linkage: Discovery of Protein and Nucleic Acid Therapeutics
Discovery of Cell Therapies
- Background
- Toolkit
- Cell Modifications
- Toxicology and Specifications Unique to Cell Therapies
- Measuring Bioactivity in a Pre-clinical Setting
- Ongoing Challenges
- Clinical Linkage: Cell Therapy Manufacturing
Wrap-up
- The Future of Drug Discovery
More Information
Frequently asked questions
Who should take this course?
This course is appropriate for science, business and medical professionals whose work intersects with cancer research and treatment – those in R&D, product management, sales, marketing, and more will benefit from understanding this emerging topic.
What do participants need to know to succeed in this course?
We recommend knowledge of basic chemistry, biology, and physics, as well as knowledge of the fundamentals of genetics. This is an advanced course; for those who require more background in key genetics concepts, we offer HMX Pro Genetics – Essentials.
What is the time commitment?
Most people can expect to spend around 15–20 hours total, but this depends on your baseline knowledge, how carefully you take notes, and how seriously you take the assessments. Lessons from the courses are released weekly and remain available until the courses end, so you can work at your own pace. There is a final exam at the end of each course that can be taken any time during the final exam period.
Can participants earn certificates from Harvard Medical School?
There are two certification levels, based on participant scores:
- Certificate of Achievement
- Certificate of Completion
HMX Learner Testimonials
Siyan Xu
Biostatistician, Novartis
“I’ve found all the courses to be tremendously helpful.”
Mariam Fida
Medical geneticist
“It was amazing the way all the animations were conducted, and how they show concepts in a very basic, nice way.”
Eugenia Prohin
Clinical operations manager
“Everybody involved in clinical research would benefit from these courses.”
Matthew Tagliaferro
Account executive, Ambry Genetics
“Being able to hear from the doctors and clinicians themselves about the different treatments and disease states, I think it gives such a good perspective.”