SURG 5100 — two posters, five treatments each

Family A — “Why do nine out of ten drugs fail?”

A1 · Title band under the question11 × 17 in
Fall 2026 · University of Vermont

Why do nine out of ten drugs fail?

SURG 5100
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development

One semester walking a molecule from a hit list to a pharmacy shelf — stopping every week at the place programs die.

Taught with industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
Research & Development · Prolytix Technologies
A working industry scientist, not a visiting lecturer — in the room every week.
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · Larner College of Medicine & Biomedical Engineering
  • 01Site visits to Vermont pharmaceutical and biotechnology operations.
  • 02Founders and CEOs as guests, plus quality and regulatory leads who file with the FDA.
  • 03Undergraduates and graduate students, same room. Elective credit for most departments — ask your advisor.

Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · 3 credits · CRN 96270

Syllabus & schedule
A2 · 5100 as the ground11 × 17 in
5100
SURG 5100 · Elective · All levels
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development

Why do nine out of ten drugs fail?

15weeks, one pipeline stage each
45real companies dissected
30of them did not survive it
Co-taught from inside the industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
R&D · Prolytix Technologies
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · LCOM & BME

Fall 2026 · Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · CRN 96270
Site visits to Vermont pharma and biotech · founders and CEOs as guests

A3 · Masthead lockup, question as pull-quote11 × 17 in
SURG 5100
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development
From target to product · Fall 2026 · University of Vermont

Why do nine out of ten drugs fail?

Fifteen weeks, fifteen gates. Every week we take one stage of drug development and put three real companies against it — two that died there, one that lived because of it.

15weeks, one pipeline stage each
45real companies dissected
30of them did not survive it
~2of 100 programs reach a patient
Your other instructor does this for a living
Matt Whelihan, PhD
Research & Development · Prolytix Technologies
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · Larner College of Medicine & Biomedical Engineering
  • →Site visits · founders and CEOs · undergraduate and graduate · elective credit for most departments

Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · 3 credits · CRN 96270

A4 · Reversed, credit as the second headline11 × 17 in
Fall 2026 · Elective · Undergraduate & graduate
SURG 5100
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development

Why do nine out of ten drugs fail?

Taught with industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
Research & Development · Prolytix Technologies
Not a UVM appointment — a scientist who runs assays and files with regulators, teaching what that actually takes.
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · LCOM & BME
  • 01Site visits to Vermont pharmaceutical and biotechnology operations.
  • 02Founders and CEOs in the room, on the record.
  • 03Elective credit for most departments — ask your advisor.

Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · 3 credits · CRN 96270

Course site
A5 · Boxed identity, question in the margin11 × 17 in
SURG 5100
3 credits · CRN 96270
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development
Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · Fall 2026 · open to undergraduates and graduate students

Why do nine out of ten drugs fail?

One semester walking a molecule from a hit list to a pharmacy shelf — stopping every week at the place programs die.

15weeks, one pipeline stage each
45real companies dissected
30of them did not survive it
~2of 100 programs reach a patient
Co-taught from industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
R&D · Prolytix Technologies
Bringing the work into the classroom from a company that does it.
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · LCOM & BME
✓ Elective credit, most departments
✓ Site visits
✓ CEOs & founders

Site visits to Vermont pharmaceutical and biotechnology operations.

Family B — the attrition funnel

B1 · Identity band above the chart11 × 17 in
SURG 5100
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development

Of a hundred programs that start, two reach a patient.

This course is about the ninety-eight — where they stopped, what it cost, and which decision would have caught it a year earlier.

Taught with industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
Research & Development · Prolytix Technologies
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · LCOM & BME

Fall 2026 · Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · 3 credits · CRN 96270
Elective credit, most departments · site visits · founders and CEOs as guests

B2 · Dark masthead, chart on paper11 × 17 in
SURG 5100
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development

Of a hundred programs that start, two reach a patient.

Your instructor works in the industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
R&D · Prolytix Technologies
Site visits to working plants and labs.
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · LCOM & BME

Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · 3 credits · CRN 96270
Elective credit for most departments — ask your advisor

B3 · Vertical columns, identity left11 × 17 in
Fall 2026 · Elective · All levels
SURG 5100
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development

Of a hundred programs that start, two reach a patient.

Taught with industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
Research & Development · Prolytix Technologies
Not a UVM appointment — a practising industry scientist.
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · LCOM & BME

Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · CRN 96270
Site visits · founders and CEOs as guests

B4 · Chart as hero, identity beneath11 × 17 in

Of a hundred programs that start, two reach a patient.

SURG 5100
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development
Fall 2026 · Tue & Thu 11:40–12:55 · 3 credits · CRN 96270 · elective, all levels
Taught with industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
R&D · Prolytix Technologies
with Dev Majumdar, PhD · LCOM & BME

Site visits to Vermont pharma and biotech · founders and CEOs as guests

B5 · Two names, two worlds11 × 17 in
SURG 5100
Biopharmaceutical Drug Development
Fall 2026
CRN 96270
3 credits

Of a hundred programs that start, two reach a patient.

Taught with industry
Matt Whelihan, PhD
Research & Development
Prolytix Technologies
A working industry scientist in the room every week — not a guest lecture.
and from UVM
Dev Majumdar, PhD
Larner College of Medicine & Biomedical Engineering