Introduction to Drug Hunting (Coursera)

Offered by Novartis,
Introduction to Drug Hunting (Coursera)

This course introduces and summarizes the different steps of preclinical drug discovery, wrapping up with a brief description of the subsequent clinical trials and the importance of competitive intelligence in project strategy.  It provides a high-level overview for those interested in a more general understanding of the topic and forms the foundation for a more in-depth exploration of topics covered in other courses in this series.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

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.
This course is part of the Drug Hunting: The Science of Making New Medicines Specialization.

Syllabus

Introduction to Drug Hunting, part 1
Welcome to the course. By the end of this course students will be able to: Describe at a general level the process of drug discovery and development. Explain how potential drug targets and molecules are identified and evaluated, including the importance of biological activity, pharmacokinetics, and safety. Recognize some of the potential preclinical and clinical hurdles a new drug candidate must overcome.

Introduction to Drug Hunting, part 2

Introduction to Drug Hunting, part 3

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Pharmacy Technician Essentials (Coursera) Coursera
MedCerts

Pharmacy Technician Essentials (Coursera)

The Pharmacy Technician Essentials course provides an in-depth look at what a career in a pharmacy will look like. Through several lessons, students learn the ins and outs of a pharmacy setting and the meaning of the terminology used daily within a pharmacy environment. This course also provides a deep dive into the purpose of the top 200 most commonly prescribed medications and drug routes and formulations.

Aug 3rd 2026
4 Weeks
Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials (Coursera)

In this course, you’ll learn how to design and carry out clinical trials. Each design choice has implications for the quality and validity of your results. This course provides you and your team with essential skills to evaluate options, make good design choices, and implement them within your trial. You’ll learn to control for bias, randomize participants, mask treatments and outcomes, identify errors, develop and test hypotheses, and define appropriate outcomes.

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks
Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials (Coursera)

Clinical trials are experiments designed to evaluate new interventions to prevent or treat disease in humans. The interventions evaluated can be drugs, devices (e.g., hearing aid), surgeries, behavioral interventions (e.g., smoking cessation program), community health programs (e.g. cancer screening programs) or health delivery systems (e.g., special care units for hospital admissions). We consider clinical trials experiments because the investigators rather the patients or their doctors select the treatment the patients receive.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Setting the Stage for Success: An Eye on Safety Culture and Teamwork (Patient Safety II) (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Setting the Stage for Success: An Eye on Safety Culture and Teamwork (Patient Safety II) (Coursera)

Safety culture is a facet of organizational culture that captures attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values about safety. A culture of safety is essential in high reliability organizations and is a critical mechanism for the delivery of safe and high-quality care. It requires a strong commitment from leadership and staff. In this course, a safe culture is promoted through the use of identifying and reporting patient safety hazards, accountability and transparency, involvement with patients and families, and effective teamwork.

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks
Fundamentals of Good Clinical Practice: Prep and Personnel (Coursera) Coursera
Novartis

Fundamentals of Good Clinical Practice: Prep and Personnel (Coursera)

Welcome to 'Fundamentals of Good Clinical Practice: Prep and Personnel'! This course is designed to introduce you to preparing for a clinical trial. This is Course Two in the Clinical Trial Teams series - the first course 'Introduction to Good Clinical Practice' provides background on what clinical trials are as well as the basic principles and practices of GCP. If you are new to the world of clinical research, we suggest starting your journey with Course One.

Jul 27th 2026
3 Weeks
Introduction to Good Clinical Practice (Coursera) Coursera
Novartis

Introduction to Good Clinical Practice (Coursera)

Welcome to 'Introduction to Good Clinical Practice'! This course is designed to introduce you to the basic principles and practices of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), which are essential for conducting clinical trials and ensuring the safety and well-being of human subjects. Whether you are new to the field or seeking to refresh your knowledge, this course and its coming sequel, 'Fundamentals of Good Clinical Practice' will equip you with the necessary skills and understanding to begin to navigate the complex world of clinical research.

Aug 3rd 2026
3 Weeks
Risk in Modern Society (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University,LDE Centre for Safety and Security

Risk in Modern Society (Coursera)

Risk has become one of the defining features of modern society. Almost daily, we are preoccupied with assessing, discussing, or preventing a wide variety of risks. It is a cornerstone notion for businesses and organizations, but also for nation states and their many levels of government. And even for individuals, risk and the avoidance or embracing thereof, is a key theme. The course Risk in Modern Society sheds light on the broad concept of risk.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Security & Safety Challenges in a Globalized World (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

Security & Safety Challenges in a Globalized World (Coursera)

Security and safety challenges rank among the most pressing issues of modern times. Challenges such as, cyber-crime, terrorism, and environmental disasters impact the lives of millions across the globe. These issues also rank high on the agenda of politicians, international organizations and businesses. They also feature prominently in the public conscience and in governmental policies.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Safety First: EV Maintenance & Best Practices (Coursera) Coursera
Coursera Instructor Network

Safety First: EV Maintenance & Best Practices (Coursera)

In today's ever-changing automotive landscape, the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) is reshaping our approach to driving and car maintenance. Welcome to our comprehensive 75-minute video course on Electric Vehicle Maintenance and Safety. This course is essential in the modern world as the shift towards sustainable transportation makes understanding EV care and safety practices not just an advantage, but a necessity. As a learner, you'll acquire the knowledge and skills needed to confidently navigate the world of electric vehicles, ensuring both your safety and the longevity of your EV investment.

Aug 3rd 2026
1 Week
Clinical Trials Management and Advanced Operations (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Clinical Trials Management and Advanced Operations (Coursera)

In this course, you’ll learn about the more advanced elements of managing clinical trials. From anticipating and planning for protocol events to conducting systematic reviews to synthesize evidence, you and your study team need the skills to implement best practices throughout the trial process.

Jul 27th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Capstone Project: Advanced AI for Drug Discovery (Coursera) Coursera
LearnQuest

Capstone Project: Advanced AI for Drug Discovery (Coursera)

In this capstone project course, we'll compare genome sequences of COVID-19 mutations to identify potential areas a drug therapy can look to target. The first step in drug discovery involves identifying target subsequences of theirs genome to target. We'll start by comparing the genomes of virus mutations to look for similarities. Then, we'll perform PCA to cut down our number of dimensions and identify the most common features.

Jul 27th 2026
3 Weeks