Find out what's driving up pharmaceutical costs at WSU seminar series on medical, genetic controversies

Prescription drugs aren't cheap - nor are the lives they can save. Pharmaceutical companies walk a precarious line between financial interest and social mission - a line that begins in the laboratories of university researchers.

The Center for Molecular Medicine will tackle tough questions about why drug development is expensive at the second session of its provocative seminar series on controversial issues in molecular medicine on Friday, Feb. 24. Hosted by the Wayne State University Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics and open to the public, the "Hot Topics in Molecular Medicine" series offers a forum for discussion on a number of issues that apply to everyday living.

This seminar will look at the full story behind a new drug; the pharmaceutical companies are the most obvious characters in the plot, but universities, scientists, physicians, government agencies, patients and consumers play significant roles. Jeffrey A. Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., WSU associate professor of neurology and molecular medicine & genetics, will lead participants through the maze of drug development, discussing hurdles faced in developing and commercializing a new drug for cancer treatment.

By the end of the talk, the real cost of drug development - and who pays for each step along the way - will be apparent.

Questions and debate are encouraged. All participants are invited to continue the discussion with faculty and physicians over food and beverage at a reception immediately following.

"How to Make a New Drug: Using Brains to Treat Breast Cancer" will be at 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, in Jaffar Auditorium, Scott Hall, 540 E. Canfield, Detroit . Complimentary valet parking will be provided at the University Health Center Garage, off of St. Antoine, just south of Canfield.