Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic director focused on measurable results and operational excellence in maritime education. Integrates IMO/STCW regulations and ISO 21001/9001 f
Masters · 1500 h · 11 modules
Master's in Marine-Derived Drugs and Bioactive Compounds
The Master's in Marine-Derived Drugs and Bioactive Compounds Prepares you to take part in drug discovery and development from marine organisms. You will study the main families of marine bioactive compounds, how they are isolated
Duration1500 h
FormatOnline
Starts30 November
Places20 / 20
Prior knowledge
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Programme overview
What is the Master’s in Marine-Derived Drugs and Bioactive Compounds?
The Master's in Marine-Derived Drugs and Bioactive Compounds
Prepares you to take part in drug discovery and development from marine organisms. You will study the main families of marine bioactive compounds, how they are isolated and characterised, the medicinal chemistry that turns them into candidates, pharmacology and toxicology, the challenge of sustainable supply and the stages of preclinical and clinical development, with a realistic view of regulation, timelines and risk in the pharmaceutical industry.
Key advantages
- The whole drug pipeline: From marine organism to clinical candidate and its regulation.
- A solid scientific base: Natural products chemistry, medicinal chemistry and pharmacology.
- An industry perspective: Intellectual property, supply, scale-up and business models.
- Real cases: Analysis of approved marine-derived medicines and the lessons they offer.
- Your own project: A development dossier for a marine bioactive compound.
Programme type
Master's Degree
Study mode
Online
Duration
1,500 hours
Modules
11
Programme highlights
- Discover molecules: Learn the families of marine compounds with therapeutic interest.
- Optimise candidates: Apply medicinal chemistry and structure-activity principles.
- Assess activity: Design pharmacology and toxicology studies.
- Plan development: Understand the preclinical and clinical phases and regulation.
- Boost your career: Open doors to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries and to research.
- Train to carry the ocean’s potential through to new medicines with scientific rigour.
Curriculum
Programme Structure
The programme is structured in 11 modules, listed below in order of study.
01
The Ocean as a Source of Medicines
- History of marine-derived drugs
- Organisms that produce bioactive compounds
- Chemical ecology and metabolite function
- Approved marine drugs
- Candidates in clinical development
- Main therapeutic areas
- Comparison with terrestrial natural products
- Sector challenges
- Academic and industry players
- Research trends
02
Chemistry of Marine Compounds
- Peptides and depsipeptides
- Marine alkaloids
- Terpenes and steroids
- Polyketides
- Macrolides
- Nucleosides
- Sulphated polysaccharides
- Bioactive fatty acids and lipids
- Halogenated compounds
- Metabolite biosynthesis
03
Isolation and Structural Characterisation
- Sample collection and preparation
- Solvent extraction
- Preparative liquid chromatography
- Bioassay-guided fractionation
- High-resolution mass spectrometry
- Nuclear magnetic resonance
- Determining stereochemistry
- Dereplication with databases
- Molecular networking
- Purity and stability
04
Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design
- From hit to candidate
- Structure-activity relationships
- Molecular modelling and docking
- Simplifying complex structures
- Analogues and derivatives
- Physicochemical properties
- Pharmacokinetics and ADME
- Prodrugs
- Antibody-drug conjugates
- Multiparameter optimisation
05
Pharmacology of Marine Compounds
- Molecular targets
- Mechanisms of action
- Cell-based assays
- Animal models
- Pharmacodynamics
- Pharmacokinetics
- Drug interactions
- Biomarkers
- Resistance
- Translational pharmacology
06
Therapeutic Areas
- Oncology
- Pain and neuropharmacology
- Infectious diseases
- Antivirals
- Inflammation and immunology
- Cardiovascular disease
- Neurodegenerative disease
- Dermatology
- Wound healing and tissue regeneration
- Neglected diseases
07
Toxicology and Safety
- Principles of toxicology
- Marine toxins as models
- In vitro toxicity
- In vivo toxicity
- Genotoxicity
- Cardiovascular safety
- Therapeutic window
- Good laboratory practice
- Animal welfare and alternative methods
- Preclinical safety reporting
08
Sustainable Compound Supply
- The supply problem
- Harvesting from the wild
- Invertebrate aquaculture
- Culturing symbiotic microorganisms
- Total synthesis
- Semi-synthesis
- Synthetic biology and heterologous expression
- Industrial-scale fermentation
- Quality and manufacturing
- Sustainability and traceability
09
Clinical Development and Regulation
- Stages of medicine development
- Regulatory preclinical studies
- Phase I clinical trials
- Phases II and III
- The EMA and FDA
- Orphan drug designation
- Good manufacturing practice
- Pharmacovigilance
- Ethics of clinical research
- Market access
10
Intellectual Property and the Pharmaceutical Business
- Patenting natural compounds
- Access to genetic resources and the Nagoya Protocol
- Freedom to operate
- Licensing and collaboration agreements
- Funding biopharma projects
- Start-ups and spin-outs
- Asset valuation
- Industry partnerships
- Managing R&D portfolios
- Communicating with investors
11
Master's Final Project: Development Dossier for a Marine Compound
- Choosing the compound and indication
- Scientific review
- Chemical and structural analysis
- Optimisation strategy
- Pharmacology plan
- Toxicology plan
- Supply strategy
- Clinical and regulatory development plan
- IP and market analysis
- Defence before a panel
Workload
Study Time and Workload
1500 hours of study, online and at your own pace. Move the slider to the hours a week you can really put in.
Hours a week8
Weeks to finish—
You finish around—
Who it is for
Graduates in pharmacy, chemistry, biochemistry or biology: who want to specialise in marine natural products Pharmaceutical industry professionals: looking for new sources of candidates Medicinal chemistry or pharmacology researchers: interested in marine-derived compounds Biotech company staff: working in drug discovery R&D and innovation managers: who assess health projects and licences
Faculty
Academic direction and faculty
The teaching team at Navalis: working professionals who deliver and oversee the institute's programmes.
Eng. Diego Cifuentes
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Eng. Tomás Riera
Verified reviews
Student Reviews
Reviews collected and verified by Opynio, not written by us.
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- 01Know marine compounds
- 02Isolate and characterise molecules
- 03Apply medicinal chemistry
- 04Assess biological activity
- 05Solve the supply problem
- 06Plan regulatory development
Careers
Career Opportunities
01Marine natural products researcher: Universities, public research bodies and companies.
02Medicinal chemist: Designing and optimising candidates.
03Preclinical pharmacologist: Assessing efficacy and safety.
04Regulatory affairs officer: Preparing submissions for agencies.
05Pharmaceutical R&D project manager: Coordinating development programmes.
06Licensing and technology transfer specialist: Valuing and negotiating assets.
Questions
Entry Requirements
Yes. You analyse authorised medicines of marine origin and the lessons from their development.
It is online. You work with protocols, data and real cases, but it does not replace hands-on lab training.
No. It is a specialist qualification and does not replace any official degree or professional registration.
Yes. You study clinical development and the general requirements of agencies such as the EMA and FDA.
A development dossier for a marine compound, from its chemistry to its clinical and commercial plan.
100% online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, live sessions that are recorded, and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The programme involves 1500 hours of study. You can work at your own pace within the timetable we give you when you enrol.
Each programme has its own start date, shown on this page and confirmed by our admissions team when you enquire.
On completing the programme you receive the Master's in Marine-Derived Drugs and Bioactive Compounds qualification awarded by Navalis Magna Institute.
Online admissions
Admissions Process
No waiting for a phone call. If your documents are complete, you can pay in the same session.
Entry requirements
Academic/professional profile: A degree in pharmacy, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, medicine or a related field; or proven professional experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. Language: A good working level of English to follow classes and materials. Technical requirements: A computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a webcam for live sessions and project presentations. Admissions process: Online application, profile review and a short interview with the academic team. We confirm your start date when you enquire.
Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
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