Career Options in the Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Industry: An Insider’s Guide

334 Pages·2023·6.049 MB·English

by  Josse R. Thomas, Luciano Saso, Chris van Schravendijk

Josse R. Thomas · Luciano Saso
Chris F.H. van Schravendijk Editors
Career Options in
the Pharmaceutical
and Biomedical
Industry
An Insider’s Guide
Career Options in the Pharmaceutical
and Biomedical Industry
(cid:129) (cid:129)
Josse R. Thomas Luciano Saso
Chris van Schravendijk
Editors
Career Options
in the Pharmaceutical
and Biomedical Industry
’
An Insider s Guide
Editors
JosseR.Thomas LucianoSaso
PharmaCS FacultyofPharmacyandMedicine
Merchtem,Belgium SapienzaUniversityofRome
Roma,Italy
ChrisvanSchravendijk
FacultyofMedicineandPharmacy
VrijeUniversiteitBrussel
Ternat,Belgium
ISBN978-3-031-14910-8 ISBN978-3-031-14911-5 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14911-5
©TheEditor(s)(ifapplicable)andTheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicencetoSpringerNatureSwitzerland
AG2023
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsaresolelyandexclusivelylicensedbythePublisher,whether
thewholeorpartofthematerialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseof
illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and
transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by
similarordissimilarmethodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped.
Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthispublication
doesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevant
protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
The publisher, the authors, and the editorsare safeto assume that the adviceand informationin this
bookarebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorsor
theeditorsgiveawarranty,expressedorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinorforany
errorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremainsneutralwithregardtojurisdictional
claimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations.
Coverphoto(UndergrantedcopyrightofC.vanSchravendijk)ThecoverphotoshowsafrozenHogweed
floweronanearlywintermorning.ThisplantismemberoftheApiaceae(orUmbelliferae)family.Many
membersofthisfamilycontainpharmacologicallyactivecompoundsandhencecanbeseenasasourceof
inspiration for pharmacological development. The shape of this flower also symbolizes the many
pathwaysthatcanbefoundforacareerinthebiomedicalorpharmaceuticalindustry.
ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbytheregisteredcompanySpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG
Theregisteredcompanyaddressis:Gewerbestrasse11,6330Cham,Switzerland
Preface
This book is the product of a network of colleagues and scientists active in the
pharma/biomed area, network that was initiated about 10 years ago. An important
andinspiringframeworkforcollaborationwasprovidedbythemuchlargerUNICA
network, which unites the European universities located in the capitals of Europe.
TheUNICAnetworkmadeitpossibletoorganizelecturesandseminarsforstudents
in the life sciences with a focus on medical and pharmaceutical research and
development, thereby creating an attractive international environment of speakers
and students. With the start of the covid-19 pandemic, organizing academic live
meetingswasnolongerpossibleandnewapproacheswereneeded.Inthisperiodof
unprecedentedhardshipespeciallyforstudents,theUNICAnetworkrespondedwith
resilience and creativity by initiating the very successful UNICA webinars. Hun-
dredsofstudentsinterestedinthepharmaceuticalandbiotechnologicalindustrytook
part in these on-line activities, while academic lecture rooms were closed for long
periodsalloverEurope.Inthesameperiod,thefoundationsofthisbookwerelaid
when the collaborating experts behind the webinars realized that a comprehensive
bookcouldalsoprovidestrongsupporttostudentsoutsidethelecturerooms.
The authors of this book have an extensive inside-experience in their fields of
expertise.Theeditorsareverygratefulthattheytooktheirprecioustimetowriteup
andcontributetheirvaluableideasandsharetheirexperienceforthenextgeneration
ofworkersinthepharmaceuticalandbiomedicalarea.
The targeted readership of this book are young university graduates and pro-
fessionals educated in the life sciences as well as other interested readers. The
objectiveisbasedontheobservationthattheemploymentpotentialofthepharma-
ceutical and biomedical industry is largely unknown among young graduates and
therefore these readers deserve an insider’s view upon the wide variety of job
opportunities. The book was written to increase the general understanding of the
whole industry by shedding light on the various roles of key-players, our authors,
involvedinthisfield.Althoughanumberofskillsforjobsearching,currentlytaught
attheuniversities,arealsodescribed,thisbookisnotwrittenasacomprehensivejob
seeker’smanualthatguideseachyounggraduatetohis/herjobofinterest.Rather,to
v
vi Preface
increasegeneralunderstanding,thechaptersareorderedalongtheproductdevelop-
mentlifecycle.
Although pharmaceutical and biomedical industry is at the centre stage in this
book,thebenefitofthepatientisandshouldbetheprimaryobjectiveofallactivities
inthePharma-Biomedindustry.Itshouldthusbeunderstoodthatthissectorisnotan
aiminitself,butratherapowerfulmeanstoachievebetterhealthcare.Ontheother
hand, the fact that the industry is concentrated on developing better medicinal
products makes it necessary that it is primarily product-oriented. This means that
thevastmajorityofopportunitiespresentedinthisbookoccuralongtheproductlife
cycle. Although all the activities from product discovery to marketing are relevant
andnecessary,theyarefinallyaimedatthebenefitofthepatient.Thefactthatthisis
notalwaysobviousandthatthisrequiresahealthcarededicationofallactorsinthe
fieldisanintegralassumptionbutnotaseparatechapterinthisbook.Itwillbecome
clearthatinthelongchainofdevelopmentofnewmedicines,rulesandregulations
protecttheinterestandsafetyofthepatient.Inthefinallinkbetweennewproducts
andthepatient,suchaspresentinclinicalstudiesorinprescribingandpreparingnew
treatments, medical doctors and pharmacists must not only have excellent product
knowledge but also be patient-oriented, meaning that they put the interest of the
patientcentrestage.Thisgivesthesetwolegallyregulatedprofessionsspecialroles
and responsibilities, hence unique job opportunities in the pharmaceutical and
biomedicalindustry.
Thefocusofthisbookisonthepharmaceuticalindustry. Itiscomposedoffive
partseachwithseveralofalltogether19chapters.
Intheintroductorychaptersofpart1entitled“settingthescene”,wefirsttakea
generallookatlifeafteracademiaandwhatitmeanstoprepare—duringyourfinal
university years—for a life in the pharmaceutical industry. To support a better
understanding about what exactly belongs to this industry and what is outside of
it,wewillthentakeacloserlookatotherfieldsofthepharmaceuticalsector.While
the pharmaceutical industry attracts a broad range of graduates from different
academic disciplines, we will undertake this delineating look from the perspective
of a close academic discipline of the sector, pharmacy education. The pharmaceu-
ticalindustrywillofferabroadrangeofpossibilities,alsoforgraduatesinPharmacy;
depending on which final specializations they choose in their study. This is elabo-
rated in Chap. 2 on competences of pharmacists. Subsequently, we will direct our
focus on the industry, starting in Chap. 3 with a general overview of career
opportunitiesinthepharmaceuticalindustry.
Part2isorganizedoverseven chapters(Chaps.4–10)thathighlightthevarious
opportunitiesintheindustryalongthedrug/productlifecycle.Part3thencontinues
with three chapters (Chaps. 11–13) highlighting the various opportunities in sup-
portive functions. Part 4 subsequently presents other opportunities in the pharma-
ceuticalandbiomedicalsectorinthreechapters(Chaps.14–16).Thebookfinalizes
with three chapters that give practical tips, tricks and training opportunities to find
your way towards the pharmaceutical and biomedical industry (Chaps. 17–19). In
theEpilogue,wereflectandgivethereadersomeafterthoughtsaboutthisfascinating
fieldanditscareerperspectives.
Preface vii
Thisbookisthefirsteditionofanewapproachtostructurallysupportgraduates
inthelifesciencesintheireffortstofindajobinthepharmaceuticalandbiomedical
industry. It would never have been there without the driving force of the authors
willingtowriteabouttheirpassion,theirlifejobintermsofacareerperspectivefor
thenextgeneration;onceagainabigthankyouforthisgreatgenerosity!Theeditors
alsowanttoexpresstheirgratitudefortheeditorialassistanceprovidedbyprof.Sibel
Süzen(U.Ankara—TR)duringthebusytake-offmonthsofthisbook.
Inthisfirstedition,notallpossibletopicswerecovered.Nevertheless,thecurrent
set of topics will already significantly support many possible orientations in the
pharmaceutical and biomedical industry. We hope and expect that future editions
willbroadenthisrichperspectiveevenfurtherandlastbutnotleast,wehopethatour
readerswillfindtheirwaythroughthisbook,towardstheirdreamjob.
Ternat,Belgium C.vanSchravendijk
1September2022
’
Authors Professional Information
L.Aldrovandi Senior Project Manager at Science & Technology
ParkforMedicine,Italy
J.Atkinson DirectoratPharmacolorConsultantsNancy,France
L.M.Azzopardi Head of Department of Pharmacy at University of
Malta,Malta
B.Cahill Research Scientist at Leibniz Information Centre
forScienceandTechnology,Germany
A.Chalfoun Senior Director Clinical, Medical & Regulatory
Department(CMR)atNovoNordiskItaly,Italy
A.I.Chiesa SeniorDirectorCommunication&Sustainabilityat
NovoNordiskItaly,Italy
F.Conicella Chief Executive Officer at Life Science District,
Italy
M.Cornet EuropeanRegisteredToxicologist(ERT),Director
NonclinicalSafetyEvaluationatUCBBiopharma,
Belgium
A.Dhoore FormerHumanResourcesLeadatAmgenBelgium
& Luxemburg, and currently Self-employed
MentorandCoach,Belgium
A.Emmerechts Head of Regulatory Science Benelux and
Switzerland/Austria at Bristol Myers Squibb,
Belgium
E.Galligan Former Senior Business Development Manager at
Aarhus University Technology Transfer Office,
Denmark
A.Gattoni Human Resources Business Partner at Novo
NordiskItaly,Italy
M.Gons AssociateDirectorQualitySystems atMerus,The
Netherlands
ix
x Authors’ProfessionalInformation
I.GorterdeVries Former Director Quality Assurance at SGS-Life
Sciences,Belgium
M.Györffi Senior EU Affairs Analyst at Eötvös Loránd
ResearchNetwork,Hungary
H.K.Kleinman Guest Researcher at NIDCR/NIH and Industry
Consultant,USA
G.Lastoria Medical Advisor Diabetes at Novo Nordisk Italy,
Italy
R.Manfroni Medical Science Liaison at GW Pharmaceuticals,
Italy
M.Martens European Registered Toxicologist (ERT), Former
Vice-President of Nonclinical Development at
Tibotec (J&J) and Consultant in Preclinical
DevelopmentandToxicology,Belgium
S.Paeps ManagingDirectoratHROneGroup,Belgium
V.Palatino CommercialDirectorItalyConvaTec,Italy
C.Peters FounderofHROneGroup,Belgium
L.Salvi Associate Director CMR and Obesity Medical
ManageratNovoNordiskItaly,Italy
S.Sbardelatti ProjectManageratScience&TechnologyParkfor
Medicine,Italy
C.vanSchravendijk Former Biomedical Doctoral School Director at
BrusselsFreeUniversity(VUB),Belgium
J.R.Thomas Former Managing Director at Servier R&D
Benelux and currently Independent Senior
PharmaConsultantatPharmaCS,Belgium
A.Vandenbroeck Former Medical Director at Amgen Belgium &
Luxemburg and currently Medical Director at
AstraZenecaBeLux,Belgium
V.VandenNieuwenhuyzen MarketingDirectoratServierBenelux,Belgium
B.VanNieuwenhove ManagingDirectoratEuropeanCentreforClinical
ResearchTraining,Belgium
D.Vuina GeneralManageratNovoNordiskItaly,Italy
Contents
PartI SettingtheScene
1 LifeAfterAcademia:LaunchingYourPharma/BiotechCareer. . . 3
ChrisvanSchravendijk
2 CompetencesforPharmacists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
JeffreyAtkinsonandChrisvanSchravendijk
3 JobandCareerOpportunitiesinthePharmaceutical
Industry:AnOverview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
JosseR.Thomas
PartII OpportunitiesAlongtheDrug/ProductLifeCycle
4 CareerOpportunitiesinToxicology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
MarkMartensandMirandaCornet
5 JobPossibilitiesinClinicalResearch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
BenediktVanNieuwenhove
6 HowtoGetandDevelopaCareerinaMarketAccessRole
intheMedicalDevices’Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
VitoPalatino
7 JobOpportunitiesinPharmaceuticalMarketing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
VickyvandenNieuwenhuyzen
8 WorkinginMedicalAffairsandClinicalOperations:
Life-ChangingCareers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
DragoVuina,AmalChalfoun,AnaInesChiesa,LauraSalvi,
GiusiLastoria,andAriannaGattoni
9 TheRoleofMedicalScienceLiaison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
RobertaManfroni
xi