Presented by
Management Forum
An Essential Overview of the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industries Training Course
This programme will give you an invaluable overview of the pharmaceutical industry, from discovery of the molecule through development to marketing.
★★★★★ "I hoped to find a comprehensive abstract about pharmaceutical industries and that's exactly what I f... more (36)"
22 September 2025 »
from £649
- Format: Live online
- CPD: 6 hours for your records
- Certificate of completion
Course overview
The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry is both complex and rapidly evolving. This intensive one-day course will provide an invaluable overview, refresher, and update on all the important aspects, from molecule discovery through development to marketing. The interactive programme will offer a step-by-step understanding of the main areas of drug development, discussing the roles and responsibilities of key departments and how they work and interact together. Additionally, how artificial intelligence is transforming the industry will also be reviewed, giving participants insight into the latest advancements shaping the future of drug development.
There will be interactive discussion sessions throughout the day, led by our expert course leader, and you will come away with a good knowledge of the structure and function of the industry.
This course is part of our Regulatory Affairs Training course collection, which features updates on the latest regulations to registration procedures and strategies.
Benefits of attending
- Increase your understanding of the pharma/biotech industries
- Develop your knowledge of the stages of drug development from drug discovery through to marketing
- Grasp key pharmaceutical trends and explore the future direction of the industry, including the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)
- Get to grips with the phases of clinical trials, regulatory processes and pharmacovigilance requirements
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of key departments and how they work together
- Demystify the technical terminology and jargon
Who should attend?
This event will be of interest to all those looking to develop their knowledge of how the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries work. It will be particularly helpful for those wanting to understand what other departments do, for new staff working in the industry and for non-scientific and administrative personnel.
This course will cover:
How the pharma/biotech industries develop medicines
- Overview of drug development
- Framework of the industry – research, development and manufacture of pharma products on an international level
- Difference between pharma and biotech drug development
- Drug discovery
- Non-clinical/pre-clinical – the importance of examining safety
- Technologies and innovations across the industry
Demystifying the jargon and terminology
Roles and responsibilities of the people in the pharma/biotech industries
Clinical trials
- Phases of clinical research – phase 1 to phase IV and range of clinical trials
- Setting up and running of clinical trials
- Quality of the data – monitoring, auditing and compliance with GCP innovations in running clinical trials
Pharmacovigilance
- Understanding safety reporting and signal detection
- Definitions and periodic and drug safety update reports
Regulatory processes
- Overview of regulatory submissions and approval procedures for pharma/biotech products including EU and FDA procedures
- The importance of ICH including the electronic Common Technical Document (eCTD)
- The EU Clinical Trial Regulation
Commercial considerations for how medicines are marketed and sold
- Marketing terminology and activities
Laura Brown
Independent Pharmaceutical Consultant
Dr Laura Brown is a pharmaceutical management consultant and Senior Lecturer of the MSc in Clinical Research at the School of Pharmacy, University of Cardiff. Laura has more than 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has held senior positions with companies such as GSK, Hoechst Marion Roussel, Farmitalia and Phoenix International. She regularly writes on pharmaceutical drug development and regulatory issues including ‘The Planning of International Drug Development’ in the Clinical Research Manual and ‘The Impact of Brexit’ in the RQA journal.
NEW higher discounts for multiple bookings - bring your colleagues to make your training budget go further:
- 30% off the 2nd delegate*
- 40% off the 3rd delegate*
- 50% off the 4th delegate*
Please contact us for pricing if you are interested in booking 5 or more delegates
22 September 2025
Live online
09:30-17:00 UK (London) (UTC+01)
10:30-18:00 Paris (UTC+02)
04:30-12:00 New York (UTC-04)
Course code 14913
- GBP 649 749
- EUR 909 1,049
- USD 1,043 1,199
Until 18 Aug
- 1 day live online training
- Browser-based, no download usually required
- See presenters and interact with fellow attendees
- Download documentation and certification of completion
- Fair transfer and cancellation policy
Not ready to book yet?
for 7 days, no obligation
* Early booking discounts may not be combined with other discounts or offers. As such, the discounts for 2nd/3rd/4th delegates are based on the full price; and apply only when booking multiple delegates on the same date.
Reviews of IPI's An Essential Overview of the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industries training course
Laura is an exceptional expert in her field and it is great to have someone so knowledgeable and qualified to train on this topic.
Jan 19 2024
Kimberley Ormerod 
Senior Group HR Manager, Boyds
May 12 2023
I hoped to find a comprehensive abstract about pharmaceutical industries and that's exactly what I found
Fabrice GALZIN 
Director marketing, Groupe ProductLife
Jan 20 2023
The content of the training was of great quality. Laura is an excellent speaker with much knowledge in this topic and there were many opportunities for interaction
Joana Reis 
Medical Advice and Communications Specialist, Yacht BV
Sep 15 2023
Laura was a very experienced speaker who presented well. I liked the interactive parts.
Eve Megaw
Millicent Pharma
Sep 15 2023
Clear and precise presenter. Clear that Laura had a good an in depth knowledge of the industry. All very good and well presented. Enjoyed the webinar and would recommend to others.
Emma Fox 
Office Manager, Theravance Suite 101
May 12 2023
Very good course and I am going to recommend another colleague attends.
Julie Hollowell
Contracts Manager, Alan Boyd Consultants Ltd
Jan 20 2023
I really liked finding out about the different phases of a clinical trial as this is something I didn't previously know and it was explained really well! I liked that there were areas where we could engage such as creating our own pharma company using our understanding from the course.
Eleanor Brumby
Marketing Assisstant, Alan Boyd Consultants Ltd
Mar 1 2022
very well presented... It was a good mix of presentation and interactive work.
Alicia Ladwig 
Market Intelligence Manager, HELM AG
May 7 2021
A very well run course, speaker was excellent and thoroughly enjoyed the course.
Sarah Robbins
HR Advisor, PCI Pharma Services
May 7 2021
All fine
Jusna Begum
Medical Operations Coordinator, GW Pharmaceuticals PLC
May 7 2021
Nice and interesting presentation
Charlotte Billy
Biostatatiscien, Ceva Santé Animal
May 7 2021
I was impressed and happy with the content, presentation and speakers. [Laura] was very good and the training was interesting and even though it was a full day, it never felt boring or dull.
Cleagh Sinclair
Associate Director Business Development, Certara Germany GmbH
Oct 21 2019
Laura is great, very engaging and knowledgeable! I really enjoyed this training and will recommend it to my colleagues!
Katarzyna Mendela
Finance Assistant, PSE Ltd
Oct 21 2019
I enjoyed the course and particularly liked the small group and interactive exercises. It was very useful in terms of content and information, well presented, speaker was good and had a lot of knowledge on the subject.
Andria Pelava
Development Scientist, Iksuda Therapeutics
Oct 21 2019
The course exceeded my expectations. The course tutor was fantastic, covering a lot of information with a great tone, humour (at the right times) and interaction throughout. I really enjoyed the course and would recommend to others. Overall, an excellent day's training, managed very well by an obvious industry expert, with a great opportunity to network with industry people.
Andrew Veevers
Learning Development Manager, Brecon Anderson UK Ltd
Nov 9 2018
Laura was very attentive to the delegates' diverse work experiences and expectations and so knowledgeable!
Catherine Jeannot
Language Teacher-Pharmacy Faculty, Université Paris Sud
Nov 9 2018
A clear presentation . Speaker was pertinent and has an expert knowledge in pharmaceutical industry, updates the current events
Lingling DAI
Business Development Manager, LFB Biomedicament
Nov 9 2018
The speaker was very engaging, easy to listen to and made the course content easy to understand for newcomers - no jargon!
Tasmin Morgan
Operations Manager, Ridge Pharma
Nov 9 2018
The course was well organised, covered all areas of interest. The speaker had a lot of knowledge on the subject and she delivered the information well.
Yulia Degtyareva
Scientist, Philips
Nov 9 2018
I found the course very informative and enjoyable, Laura was very knowledgeable and made everything easy to understand.
Emily MacKenzie
Sponsorship and Partnerships Manager, British Society for Rheumatology
Nov 24 2017
The course was great, well prepared and well spoken.
Monica Milani
Redacteur Scientifique , GALDERMA Recherche & Developpement
Nov 24 2017
Very good content, engaging speaker
Yasmin Hubbard
Admin Associate III, International Medical Affairs, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Limited
Nov 24 2017
Very informative. The speaker kept everyone engaged by involving them in group task was a good way to interact and learn more about other areas of the industry
Kit Graham
Warehouse Operative, GW Pharm
Nov 24 2017
All areas were excellent. The booklet accompanying the presentation was very helpful
Grace McIntyre
Warehouse Technician, GW Pharmaceuticals
Nov 24 2017
Very enjoyable overall, I feel this will help my learning and development
Tanya Killick
Medical Administrative Associate, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Limited
Nov 24 2017
Very well organised course, with a very knowledgable and friendly presenter giving clear and concise information. Very useful to people new to the industry and a good revision for others.
Shona Rhydderch 
Analytical Chemist, TauRx Therapeutics Ltd
May 12 2017
I felt that a newbie to Pharmaceuticals it was a perfect course for me to have a overview without being too complicated. There was a lot to cover and I think Laura delivered the course well and was happy to answer questions when asked.
Sharon Shoveller
Supply Chain Distribution Administrator, GW Pharma Ltd
May 12 2017
Overall I am very happy with the course
Paul Fitton
Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Presspart
Nov 10 2016
I thought the course was good and I liked the fact that we was able to get to work with different people. The presentation was good, it was broken down step by step to give everyone a better understand and it was very easy to follow. The speaker was very professional.
Cher Kelly
Document Control Assistant , GW pharma
Nov 10 2016
Very good course- I would recommend to my colleagues
Hayley West
Preclinical Coordinator , GW Pharmaceuticals
Nov 10 2016
The course was insightful and carefully structured. The presentation was basic and effective through powerpoint. The speaker was excellent, clear and concise.
Dhirenkumar Mistry
Marketing, Arriello Ireland Limited
Nov 10 2016
Excellent, best course I have been on to date
Sharna King
G Pharm
May 13 2016
I thought the content was appropriate and very well presented but there was a lot to cover in one day. I thought Laura was excellent and presented very well and I thought the execution of the event was run smoothly and efficiently by Management Forum.
Susan Delaney
National Scientific Advice Administrator, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
May 13 2016
Very good content, but not enough time to discuss in more details, or to ask more questions
Sophie Ferruit 
Scientific writer, Monachem
May 13 2016
The content and presentation were interesting and followed a logic pattern. The speaker was very clear and engaging.
Quazi Hussain
Vigilance Risk Management Student Placement, Mundipharma Research Limited
May 13 2016
All areas well covered, all questions answered. Pleasant speaker.
Leanne Gosling
Bayer
United Kingdom
- 4D Pharma Plc
- Abbott EPD
- Alan Boyd Consultants Ltd
- Allergan Holdings Ltd
- Allergan UK Limited
- AndersonBrecon Inc
- Aspen
- Bayer
- Bayer Public Limited Company
- BD Pharmaceutical System
- Becton Dickinson UK Ltd (Oxford)
- Biogen Idec Limited
- Boyds
- Brecon Anderson UK Ltd
- British Society for Rheumatology
- Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
- Chugai Pharma UK Ltd
- Commericial Service
- Consilient Health
- Databricks
- Datapharm
- Eisai Limited
- G Pharm
- Gate One
- Gilead Sciences
- GW Pharm
- GW pharma
- GW Pharma Ltd
- GW Pharmaceuticals
- GW Pharmaceuticals Limited
- GW Pharmaceuticals plc
- Hospira UK Ltd
- Iksuda Therapeutics
- Intercept Pharma Europe Ltd
- Intercept Pharmaceuticals
- Ipsen Bioinnovation
- Janssen
- Kyowa Kirin
- Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- MHRA
- Millicent Pharma
- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Europe
- Mundipharma Research Limited
- Mundipharma Research Ltd
- Norgine
- ONO Pharma
- Osprey Health Consulting
- PCI Pharma Services
- PCI Pharma Services T/A Millmount Healthcare
- Pharmacovigilance Matters Limited
- Pharmiweb
- PharSafer
- Philips
- Presspart
- Probiotics International Ltd.
- PSE Ltd
- Ridge Pharma
- Ridge Pharma Ltd
- Roche Product Ltd
- Sunovion
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Europe
- Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd
- UCL
- University of Warwick
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Limited
France
- Ceva Santé Animal
- GALDERMA Recherche & Developpement
- Groupe ProductLife
- IDA Ireland
- IPSEN Pharma
- LFB Biomedicament
- Orphalan
- Université Paris Sud
Switzerland
- Abbott Products Operations AG
- Debiopharm International SA
- F. Hoffmann La Roche
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
- Parker Hannifin EMEA Sarl
- Shire Pharmaceuticals
Germany
- Bayer Consumer Care AG
- Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH
- Certara Germany GmbH
- HELM AG
- UCB BIOSCIENCES GmbH
Ireland
- Arriello Ireland Limited
- Digiweb Ltd
- SSPC Pharmaceutical Research Centre
- Theravance Suite 101
- THERAVANCE BIOPHARMA IRELAND LIMITED
Belgium
- Toxikon Europe NV
- UCB Biopharma SPRL
- UCB Pharma SA
Bulgaria
- Actavis Plc
- Allergan
Croatia
- Pliva Croatia d.o.o.
- Pliva Croatia Ltd
Italy
- A. Menarini IFR
- Chiesi Farmaceutici SPA
United States of America
- Rutgers Professional Science Master's Program
- Xavier Creative House
Austria
- FFG-Austrian Research Promotion Agency
Korea, Republic Of
- Ajou university of GlobalPharm
Monaco
- Monachem
Netherlands
- Yacht BV
Singapore
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd
Run An Essential Overview of the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industries Live online for your team
1 day
Typical duration
Pricing from:
- GBP 500
- Per attendee, based on 10 attendees
- Course tailored to your requirements
- At your choice of location, or online
We can customise this course to your requirements and deliver it on an in-house basis for any number of your staff or colleagues.
Contact our in-house training experts Aleksandra Beer and Yesim Nurko to discuss your requirements:
