Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences and Education

Prof. Meindert Danhof

“LACDR’s research is focused on the development of new strategies for the discovery and development of new medicines.”

“The MSC in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences focuses on the discovery and development of new medicines, and as such is unique in the world. The study is directly linked to the research programme of the Leiden Amsterdam Center for Drug Research (LACDR), which is regarded worldwide as one of the opinion-leaders in the field of innovative drug research.

The discovery and development of new medicines is important because for many serious diseases there are still no effective treatments available. The development of new medicines still constitutes a great challenge. At the moment the likelihood of producing an effective new drug is quite limited: of all the medicines tested on humans, only 8% actually reach the patient.

Moreover, it takes a long time to develop such medicines: 10 – 15 years on average. This means that the costs of developing a new medicine can be as much as Euro 1 billion. LACDR’s research is focused on the development of new strategies for the discovery and development of new medicines.

A further distinctive aspect of this master’s programme is the intensive co-operation with the international pharmaceutical industry. We also participate in the Top Institute Pharma (TI Pharma). We offer our students many opportunities to gain experience through work placements in the research departments of pharmaceutical companies.”