Khaberni - Stemming from Arab Amman University's commitment to enhancing the practical aspect and linking academic courses with the requirements of the job market, the Faculty of Pharmacy at the university hosted expert Professor Abdul Rahman Al-Rawashdeh, Director of the Golden Company for Biotechnologies, as part of the course on Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, supervised by Dr. Naseebah Al-Qutaish, a faculty member at the pharmacy college.
Professor Al-Rawashdeh delivered a specialized lecture titled (Trends in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology), where he focused on enhancing the practical skills of the students and ensuring their effective involvement in the fields of pharmaceuticals and modern biotechnologies. He also discussed the fundamental transformation in the pharmaceutical industry from "small molecules" chemically manufactured to "complex biologic medicines" such as antibodies, explaining that these preparations represent a radical change in the therapy philosophy, being based on the engineering of proteins and their high precision targeting towards disease.
The lecture included several key topics: advanced antibodies, RNA-based therapies like (mRNA) vaccines for cancer patients, gene therapy and editing using (CRISPR) techniques that allow precise DNA surgery, as well as highlighting "living drugs" like cell therapy (CAR-T) which are characterized by the ability to proliferate and adapt within a patient's body to eradicate previously untreatable cancer cells. The lecture also shone a light on industrial management from a practical perspective, showcasing real-life experiments that link theory with practice. Al-Rawashdeh emphasized that scientific innovation must be paired with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and economic feasibility, clarifying that the success of a biologic drug depends on the ability to manufacture it repeatedly and in accordance with specifications, while considering the cost per dose and the regulatory risks related to international approvals. Additionally, Al-Rawashdeh highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in accelerating drug discovery by predicting protein structures within hours, a process that previously took years of laboratory research, guiding students on multiple career paths available through this study and stressing that real impact in this sector comes through balancing innovation with ethical responsibility, and drug efficacy with the ability to provide it to patients at affordable prices.
At the end of the meeting, Arab Amman University honored expert Al-Rawashdeh, as an expression of their gratitude and appreciation for his visit and active participation with the students. This initiative is part of a series of events aimed at providing students with the skills necessary for professional excellence, in addition to the university’s aspirations for more activities that contribute to qualifying students and linking them with the job market.
