This multidisciplinary class is an exploration of the background of today's bestselling medicines, their huge commercial impact, and the companies that created them. It focuses on the most compelling aspects of drug development and company formation in the context of topical issues like cancer treatment, gene editing, stem cell therapy, the obesity and opioid epidemics and Covid-ECON 19.Special focus will be given to valuing assets and companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. We will read everything from scientific papers to business school cases as we explore these interesting issues. We will have occasional guests from industry, the investment community, and related fields to aid us in our study. Prerequisites: ECON 102A or any equivalent stats course. Enrollment in this course is by application only. Interested students should apply through the Undergraduate Forms page on the Economics Department Website:https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms.
3 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
This multidisciplinary class is an exploration of the background of today's bestselling medicines, their huge commercial impact, and the companies that created them. It focuses on the most compelling aspects of drug development and company formation in the context of topical issues like cancer treatment, gene editing, stem cell therapy, the obesity and opioid epidemics and Covid-19.Special focus will be given to valuing assets and companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. We will read everything from scientific papers to business school cases as we explore these interesting issues. We will have occasional guests from industry, the investment community, and related fields to aid us in our study. Prerequisites: ECON 102A or any equivalent stats course. Enrollment in this course is by application only. Interested students should apply through the Undergraduate Forms page on the Economics Department Website:https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.