Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics

Pharmacology and innovative therapeutics addresses one of the central challenges of modern medicine: how to discover, develop, and deliver new treatments to patients safely and effectively. Pharmacology provides the scientific foundation, examining how drugs interact with biological targets at the molecular and cellular level. Therapeutics extends that into the clinical domain, asking how new medicines move from laboratory discovery through clinical trials to regulated medical use.

The combination reflects the reality of pharmaceutical development, which requires scientists who understand the full arc from basic research to patient benefit.

At Queen Mary this four-year full-time programme takes you from the fundamentals of basic and molecular pharmacology through to the clinical and regulatory dimensions of bringing new drugs to market. You will gain practical experience working with scientific instruments in modern laboratories, developing the hands-on experimental skills that research and industry roles require. The programme addresses the clinical trial process and the regulatory pathways that govern how drugs are tested and approved, giving you an understanding of the translational journey from initial idea to therapeutic use.

The typical entry tariff is 136 UCAS points.

Graduates from pharmacology and therapeutics programmes enter careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, in academic and clinical research, in regulatory affairs, and in medical communications. Roles in drug discovery, pre-clinical and clinical development, regulatory submission, and pharmacovigilance are all common paths. The NHS also employs graduates with this kind of background in research, medicines management, and clinical trials support.

Many graduates proceed to postgraduate study, whether a research degree in pharmacology or a related life science, or professional postgraduate training in clinical research, toxicology, or drug development.