Pharma, Biotech, Biopharma... the world of drug development

Please help the American Foundation Suicide Prevention

2011-05-24T05:03:00.001-07:00

Neuroscience Drug Development Physicians

2011-04-05T07:46:00.002-07:00

Neuroscience Drug Development Physicians is a LinkedIn Group for Physicians supporting Drug Development in the expanding and evolving Neuroscience arena.

This group is for physicians working in Neuroscience Drug Development. Neurology focused research is an area of drug development that lags behind other discipline but many physicians and companies are working diligently to address this unmet medical need. Development is continuing to expand in scope for indications related to cognitive, neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders. With the hope of addressing the unmet needs of patients with diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Parkinson's Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Pain, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder disorder.

Central Nervous System disorders account for more hospitalizations, long-term care, and chronic suffering than nearly all other diseases combined. The medical need in these disorders is very high as the treatment options available are severely limited.

The goal of this forum is for physicians to discuss the scientific and business aspects of neuroscience drug development; to create a space for physicians to discuss their experiences and challenges.

We encourage you to exchange your thoughts, and seek advice from colleagues.

Infectious Disease Drug Development Physicians

2011-04-05T07:46:00.001-07:00

Infectious Disease Drug Development Physicians is a LinkedIn Group for Physicians supporting the Infectious Disease space encompassing both anti-viral and anti-bacterial focused development.

This group is for physicians working in Infectious Disease Drug Development. This is an area of drug development that is continuing to expand in scope; indications being explored include but are not limited to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV), Hepatitis B (HBV), Anti-bacterials (bacterial resistance to antibiotics), Malaria, and Vaccines.

The goal of this forum is for physicians to discuss the scientific and business aspects along with the challenges of infectious disease drug development; to create a space for physicians to discuss their experiences and challenges.

We encourage you to exchange your thoughts, and seek advice from colleagues.

Cardiovascular / Endocrinology / Nephrology Drug Development Physicians

2011-04-05T07:45:00.001-07:00

Cardiovascular / Endocrinology / Nephrology Drug Development Physicians is a LinkedIn Group for Physicians supporting Drug Development in this expanding arena.

This group is for physicians working in Cardiovascular / Endocrinology / Nephrology Drug Development. This is an area of drug development that is continuing to expand in scope; indications being explored include but are not limited to Cardiovascular Disease, Thrombosis, Diabetes, Renal Disease, Obesity, Angina, Dyslipidemia, and Congestive Heart Failure and Men's and Women's Health.

The goal of this forum is for physicians to discuss the scientific and business aspects along with the challenges of cardiovascular,endocrinology and nephrology drug development; to create a space for physicians to discuss their experiences and challenges.

We encourage you to exchange your thoughts, and seek advice from colleagues.

Unemployment Stats... the Devlis in the Details.... great Analysis

2010-09-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Bob Marshall’s BLS Analysis; 9/3/10

The unemployment rate is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of the US Department of Labor. The rate is found by dividing the number of unemployed by the total civilian labor force. On September 3, 2010, the BLS published the most recent unemployment rate for August, 2010 of 9.6% (actually it is 9.642%; up .135% from 9.507% in July, 2010). This was determined by dividing the unemployed of 14,860,000 (up from the month before by 261,000—since August, 2009 (one year ago), this number has decreased by 133,000) by the total civilian labor force of 154,110,000 (up by 550,000 from July 2010). Since August 2009, our total civilian labor force has shrunk by 316,000 people. On the surface, these new unemployment rates are scary, but let’s look a little deeper and consider some other numbers.

The unemployment rate includes all types of workers—construction workers, farmers, etc. We recruiters, on the other hand, mainly place management, professional and related types of workers. That unemployment rate in August was fixed at 5.1% (this rate is the highest it has been since the 5.2% rate of September 2009). Or, you can look at it another way. We usually place people who have college degrees. That unemployment rate in August was fixed at 4.6% (this rate increased by .1% from July’s rate).

Now stay with me a little longer. This gets better. It’s important to understand (and none of the pundits mention this) that the unemployment rate, for many reasons, will never be 0%, no matter how good the economy is. Without boring you any more than I have already, just let me add here that Milton Friedman (the renowned Nobel Prize-winning economist), is famous for the theory of the “natural rate of unemployment” (or the term he preferred, NAIRU, which is the acronym for Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment). This theory states that full employment presupposes an ‘unavoidable and acceptable’ unemployment rate of somewhere between 4-6% with it. So, if applied to our main category of management, professional and related types of potential recruits, and/or our other main category of college-degreed potential recruits, we have no unemployment

as reported by The Street 10 Firms Expecting Clinical Trial Results

2010-07-14T10:24:00.001-07:00

10 Firms Expecting Clinical Trial Results
By Adam Feuerstein

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- I've put together an updated calendar of meaningful clinical trials with results expected through the end of the current year. The biotech and drug companies included here are listed in alphabetical order.

Unlike U.S. Food and Drug Administration drug approvals, which are more precisely timed, the release dates for data from clinical trials is a bit fuzzier, so the timelines here are culled from company guidance when possible.
Successful biotech traders and investors understand the importance of staying one step ahead of stock-moving catalysts in the biotech sector. Use this clinical trial list as a companion to my recently published FDA drug approval calendar.

This list was compiled using company reports and the BioMedTracker service from Sagient Research, a subscription-based tool for keeping track of biotech and drug catalysts.

Read on for the list.

Company: Ariad Pharmaceuticals (ARIA)
Drug/indication: Ridaforolimus for sarcoma
Estimated timing: Before year's end.
Recent stock performance: Closed Tuesday at $2.73, off its recent high of $4.25 reached in mid May.
The phase III "SUCCEED" study is designed to detect a 33% improvement in median progression-free survival between "rida" and placebo in patients with soft-tissue or bone sarcoma who were previously treated, successfully, with chemotherapy. Full enrollment in the study of 650 patients was reached in December 2009 and independent study monitors completed their last interim check in May, recommending the study proceed to a final analysis.
Ariad licensed worldwide commercial rights to rida to Merck(MRK). The two companies recently restructured the terms of the partnership.

Company: AstraZeneca (AZN)
Drug/indication: Zibotentan for prostate cancer
Estimated timing: Fourth quarter
Recent stock performance: A rebound in June and July has pushed the stock up 6% for the year.
Zibotentan represents the biggest, near-term competitive threat to Dendreon's(DNDN) prostate cancer immunotherapy Provenge. The phase III study of zibotentan targets the same patient population described in Provenge's FDA-approved label -- men with prostate cancer that no longer respond to hormone treatment but who have minimal bone pain and have not yet started chemotherapy.
The study of 580 men compares treatment with zibotentan against best supportive care with a primary endpoint of overall survival. If the study is positive and zibotentan gains FDA approval, doctors will have another treatment choice besides Provenge for this group of prostate cancer patients.

Company: BioMarin Pharmaceuticals (BMRN)
Drug/indication: Peg-Pal for phenylketonuria (PKU)
Estimated timing: Third quarter
Recent stock performance: At $19, the stock is flat for the year, off its recent high of $25 reached in May.
Peg-Pal is a follow-on therapy for PKU that is being developed as a treatment for patients who do not respond to Biomarin's currently marketed PKU drug Kuvan. This phase II study treats 35 patients with PKU for 16 weeks.

Company: Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY)
Drug/indication: Ipilimumab for melanoma
Estimated timing: Fourth quarter
Recent stock performance: At almost $26, trading close to its year high
Bristol was the star of the most recent ASCO cancer conference where the company presented positive results from a phase III study of ipilimumab in previously treated melanoma patients. Bristol plans to seek FDA approval for ipilimumab based on these data despite some lingering questions about the strength of the results.
Bristol can put all the questions about ipilimumab to rest with boffo results from this next phase III study in 500 first-line, or newly treated melanoma patients. The study compares ipilimumab plus the chemotherapy DTIC against DTIC plus a placebo, with overall survival as the primary endpoint.

Company: Corcept Therapeutics (CORT)
Drug/indication: Corlux for Cushing's syndrome
Estimated timing: Fourth quarter
Recent stock performance: Up more than 20% for the year.
Cushing's syndrome is a rare disease in which patients suffer from high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and/or diabetes and other symptoms because of exposure to high levels of the "stress hormone" cortisol.
Corcept enrolled 50 Cushing's patients in its pivotal, phase III study in which all patients are being treated with Corlux for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint of the study is improvement in glucose tolerance or a decrease in diastolic blood pressure relative to baseline. The active ingredient in Corlux is mifepristone, also known as the abortion drug RU-486

Company: Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals (CYCC)
Drug/indication: Seliciclib for non-small cell lung cancer
Expected timing: Before year's end
Recent stock performance: At around $1.50, the stock has been cut in half from the $3 level reached in January.
Last January, investors bid up shares of Cyclacel on the publication of research demonstrating that seliciclib was effective against certain lung cancer cells -- in a petri dish. Some of that investor excitement for the stock has ebbed in the subsequent seven months, but could be rekindled if Cyclacel posts positive results from this phase II study in non-small cell lung cancer patients. The phase II study is somewhat unique because it uses a follows a "randomized discontinuation" design that was most famously used to test the initial efficacy of Onyx Pharmaceutical's cancer drug Nexavar. In this case, all lung cancer patients are first treated with seliciclib for six weeks. Patients whose tumors remain stable at a minimum after this run-in treatment phase are then randomized to continue treatment with seliciclib or receive best supportive care. The study's primary endpoint is progression-free survival measured in the randomized portion of the study.

Company: Merck
Drug/indication: Boceprevir for hepatitis C
Estimated timing: Third quarter
Recent stock performance: Flat for the year
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) set the efficacy bar for new hepatitis C drugs when the company's experimental drug telaprevir posted a 75% "cure" rate in a pivotal phase III study of newly diagnosed patients.
Investors await results from two pivotal studies of Merck's boceprevir in newly diagnosed hepatitis C patients as well as in patients who failed to respond to previous treatment. Likewise, Vertex is expected to announce results later this year from additional late-stage studies of telaprevir in previously treated patients.

Company: Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX)
Drug/indication: Carfilzomib for multiple myeloma
Estimated timing: Third quarter
Recent stock performance: Down 28% and near its 52-week low.
Onyx acquired the next-generation proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib when the company bought the privately held drug developer Proteolix in October 2009. This "pivotal" phase IIb study enrolled 269 patients with multiple myeloma that continued to grow despite two or three prior therapies. If carfilzomib can shrink tumors in a significant portion of these patients, Onyx intends to seek accelerated approval with the FDA.

Company: Raptor Pharmaceuticals(RPTP)
Drug/indication: DR Cysteamine for cystinosis
Expected timing: Fourth quarter
Recent stock performance: At $2.60, up for the year but still below the spike to $4 which occurred last October.
DR Cysteamine is a proprietary formulation designed to require less frequent dosing (every 12 hours versus every six hours) and cause fewer gastrointestinal side effects than immediate-release cysteamine for patients with cystinosis. Cystinosis is a rare genetic disease caused by the buildup of the amino acid cystine within cells. Patients with cystinosis develop severe kidney problems and suffer from impaired growth. Raptor's phase III study compares DR Cysteamine to immediate release cysteamine.

Company: Seattle Genetics(SGEN)
Drug/indication: Lintuzumab (SGN-33) for acute myeloid leukemia
Estimated timing: Third quarter
Recent stock performance: Up 22% for the year.
Seattle Genetics scores points for designing this pivotal lintuzumab study in AML with a control arm and a survival benefit endpoint, unlike recent AML single-arm studies conducted by Genzyme(GENZ) and Vion Pharmaceuticals that failed to pass muster with FDA or the agency's panel of outside cancer experts.
If lintuzumab can score a win in this study by helping patients with AML live longer, FDA approval should be relatively straightforward. However, the patients enrolled in the lintuzumab study are elderly (60 years or older) and very sick with an aggressive form of blood cancer that has proven resistant to effective treatment with previous drugs. Data from an earlier and much smaller study of lintuzumab in elderly AML patients showed some promising hints of tumor remission.

-- Reported by Adam Feuerstein in Boston.

Great Article from the Washington Post

2010-06-30T12:48:00.001-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/26/AR2010062601377.html

Do your own recruiter searching long before you'll be job searching

By Vickie Elmer
Sunday, June 27, 2010

If your career matters to you, you need to recruit a recruiter.

The time to do this, ideally, is before you start hunting for a new job. And the way to do it is either to be discovered by a recruiter who joins your network, or to be recommended by co-workers and others who value your talents and contributions.

Kathleen T. Kurke hears from one such man who e-mails about once a month saying he loves his job but is ready to help her with connections in Texas, where he lives. He wants to help the executive recruiter now so when he's next looking, she'll be more likely to assist him.

That proactive approach demonstrates his talents as a business developer and keeps his connections strong with Kurke, national practice leader with the Starbridge Group in Fairfax. "The best time to approach a recruiter is when you're not looking for a job," she said, offering advice echoed by several others.

Get connected through co-workers, a former boss or someone on the nonprofit board on which you serve. "Referrals are the best," said Patrick Gray, a Korn Ferry International partner who specializes in government contractor searches in the aerospace and defense fields.

A third avenue in: Develop a robust online profile on LinkedIn and in your professional association or community. "Make yourself visible," says Bob Corlett, president of Staffing Advisors in the District, which recruits for nonprofit, association and entrepreneurial clients. Speak at professional meetings or serve on a committee -- and leave an online trail illustrating your professional skills.
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This will make you "findable" to recruiters, Corlett says. They seek candidates by searching LinkedIn, by checking professional association sites or by Googling around for prospects.

You want to connect with a recruiter who works in your industry or at your career level. For Corlett's Staffing Advisors, that's often at the director level, including many searches for directors of HR or development. For Korn Ferry, that means mostly vice presidents and above. Some recruiters specialize in one job function, such as general counsels or graphic designers, and others focus on one sector, such as finance or legal.

Once you have been introduced to a recruiter, look for ways to make the relationship mutually beneficial and long-term. "Be a good go-to resource for discussions on issues and trends in industry," said Kurke, who is president of the Pinnacle Society, a group of star recruiters nationwide. Or as the Texas man does, offer to connect her to other candidates. "It's sort of like managing up when you work for somebody," Kurke said. You need their help -- and you help the recruiter succeed, too.

Recruiters are inundated with inquiries and résumés, so respect their time. Don't ask them for advice on your résumés or cover letter; that's for friends, family or résumés writers. And don't expect them to help you with career change thoughts.

It's fine to work with two or three recruiters -- "a manageable number of relationships," according to Gray. But you need to be honest and open with each one, Kurke says, so they don't duplicate efforts or feel you're being secretive. "Share your goals and aspirations," she said, and never lie about your experience or accomplishments.

Recruiters are paid to identify people who are in demand or difficult to find, Corlett said. Recruiters work for the organization, so unless you're a good match for the employer's specifications, you won't make the slate of candidates. Said Corlett: "You could be my brother, and I'm not going to put you forward if you're not a good fit."

Vickie Elmer is a freelance writer.

Have the regulations gone too far...

2010-06-08T09:58:00.001-07:00

Want a free pharma latte? Show your ID

By Tracy Staton
You've heard that there's no free lunch, but no free coffee? One of the trends noticed at last weekend's American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting was careful policing of just who took free lattes. No Vermonters were allowed at the Pfizer coffee machine, thanks to that state's strict rules on pharma gifts for physicians--and no Minnesotans, either.

And those doctors who did collect a cup of joe? They'll see their names on the Pfizer website, a company spokesman promised Reuters. "Any gift, even a cup of coffee, is posted on our Pfizer website for disclosure purposes and to provide complete clarity."

One international drugmaker even limited coffee handouts to doctors with international ID badges. A woman stood guard, in fear that the FDA's handout police would come calling.

It's a far cry from the ASCO exhibit floor of the past, where doctors could pick up all sorts of drugmaker tchotchkes. Apparently, pharma companies are really taking the new PhRMA gift guidelines seriously. In some views, too seriously. "This is getting to the point of absurdity," a deputy CMO at the American Cancer Society remarked to Reuters.

Please feel free to share your thoughts....

Immunology Drug Development Physicians

2010-05-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

The world of social media offers unprecedented ability for those with common interests to connect........

Immunology Drug Development Physicians is a LinkedIn Group for Physicians supporting Drug Development in the growing and evolving Immunology arena.

This group is for physicians working in Immunology Drug Development. Immunology is an area of drug development that is continuing to expand in scope; indications being explored include but are not limited to Rheumatology, Psoriatic Arthritis, Lupus, Scleroderma, Respiratory and Oncology. The growth of monoclonal drug development will continue to fuel this expansion.

The goal of this forum is for physicians to discuss the scientific and business aspects of immunology drug development; to create a space for physicians to discuss their experiences and challenges.

We encourage you to exchange your thoughts, and seek advice from colleagues.

We encourage you to exchange your thoughts, and seek advice from colleagues.

Drug Safety / Pharmacovigilance / Pharmacoepidemiology Physicians

2010-05-27T13:51:00.001-07:00

The world of social media offers unprecedented ability for those with common interests to connect........

Drug Safety / Pharmacovigilance / Pharmacoepidemiology Physicians is a LinkedIn Group for Physicians working in the areas of Drug Safety, Pharmacovigilance Pharmacoepidemiology and Risk Management inside of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

The goal of this group is to create a forum to discuss the scientific and business aspects of these disciplines. To create a space for physicians to discuss their professional experiences and the challenges they face.

We encourage you to exchange your thoughts, and seek advice from colleagues.

LEGAL UPDATE – From Bob Style NAPS Attorney.

2010-05-14T13:02:00.001-07:00

LEGAL UPDATE – From Bob Style NAPS Attorney.
 HIRE Act provides tax incentives for hiring the unemployed

The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (“Hire Act”) is a recently enacted federal law which provides certain tax benefits to those employers who hire the unemployed. It may be of interest to those engaged in temporary staffing, as well as to clients of placement firms.

The first tax credit applies to employers who hire the unemployed at some point between February 3, 2010 and January 1, 2011. The credit is for an amount equal to the employer’s portion of the social security tax.

The employee must complete and file with you an IRS form (W-11) in which he or she states, under penalties of perjury, that the employee has worked less than 40 hours in the most recent 60 day period. The employee cannot be hired to replace another employee who was terminated without cause, and cannot be related to anyone owning at least a 50% interest in the employer.

If the employer keeps the employee on the payroll for 52 consecutive weeks, and the employee earns in the second 26 weeks of the period, at least 80% of the earnings for the first 26 weeks, then the employer becomes eligible for a $1,000 tax credit in 2011.

This information was provided by NAPS through Bob Styles Legal Updates email.

Jobs as a Bargaining Chip.....

2010-04-12T09:51:00.001-07:00

Paper: Roche, Novartis threaten to leave UK

Drugmakers may not have the power to force the U.K. to pay for their meds, but they do have one massive bargaining chip: Jobs. Witness Swiss drugmakers Novartis and Roche, which reportedly are threatening to pull out of Britain and move some 5,000 jobs abroad.

The threats came in personal meetings with U.K. ministers, who've been traveling the world to placate drugmakers angered by, among other things, drug pricing for the National Health Service, The Guardian reports.

In fact, the officials have mounted a "vigorous charm offensive" to keep multinational drugmakers from leaving the country, according to the paper, which got access to government documents about the situation. As part of that effort, ministers and repesentatives of the cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE have visited pharma execs at their headquarters in Japan, the U.S. and Europe. They've been visiting companies they fear they're most at risk of losing--including Roche and Novartis.

Roche, for one, objected to government efforts to cut drug prices. The U.K. "price squeeze" could well spread beyond Britain's borders, the company says, because many other countries use U.K. prices to set their own. If Roche pulled out of the U.K., it might lose 3 percent of its business, but would "safeguard pricing levels at the remaining 97 percent," the paper reports.

At the officials' meeting with Novartis, the company hinted that it might like some government incentives to help pay for an expansion and upgrade at one Liverpool-area vaccine plant. And company officials warned that the company might move some of their trials out of the country, because the NHS system is too slow, making trials too expensive.

Roche, for its part, says it has "no plans" to leave the U.K.; it's just working with the government to persuade Britain to adopt more new meds, it says in a statement emailed to Dow Jones. Novartis wouldn't comment.

Please feel free to share your thoughts.....

Would like to Congratulate her Fellow Honorees

2010-03-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Would like to Congratulate her Fellow Honorees for the 2010 Long Island Business News Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business Awards

http://libn.com/top-50-most-influential-women-in-business-awards/

Physicians in the Pharmaceutical Industry

2010-02-24T18:27:00.000-08:00

The world of social media offers unprecedented ability for those with common interests to connect........

Physicians in the Pharmaceutical Industry is a LinkedIn Group for Physicians employed inside of the Pharmaceutical industry. Choosing an alternative career path to clinical medicine can be rewarding while also offering challenges.

The goal of this forum is to discuss the scientific and business aspects of drug development and to create a space for physicians to discuss their professional experiences. Utilizing medical training in a non-traditional capacity can create unique bonds and experiences.

Join here:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2753832

We encourage you to exchange your thoughts, and seek advice from colleagues.

Great Quote....

2009-11-24T10:25:00.001-08:00

"Hiring good people is hard. Hiring great people is brutally hard. And yet nothing matters more in winning than getting the right people on the field."
~Jack Welch, former CEO, GE

Recovery appears to have arrived.....

2009-10-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Easiest time to get a job in two years? http://bit.ly/16EQZq

Hiring Boom may be on its way....

2009-08-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

A hiring Boom may be on its ways...

http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/11/employment-pharma-oil-intelligent-investing-hiring.html?partner=yahootix

Positive Press for the Pharma World

2009-07-30T11:13:00.001-07:00

Well they say when a door closes a window opens..... the flu pandemic has started to shed positive light on the pharma world. It is wonderful to read articles commenting on how the pharma and biotech industries can help curtail a flu pandemic.
Countless scientist spend untold hours and companies spend billions of dollars to search for the next cure for life threatening disease, this seems to have been lost in all the hype about drug prices. In a world were negative gets "clicks" people writing about the promise of an H1N1 vaccine and the good the industry does is a welcome breath of fresh air.

Please feel free to share your comments

CNN Money Summit

2009-06-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

CNN is doing a wonderful segment called the Money Summit
They spoke about the value of networking, volunteering and finding your passion, most importantly they spoke about the value of education.
If you are over the age of 25 and hold a Bachelor's Degree unemployment is only 4.76%, the only time I have seen that shown on tv.

10 tips to prepare for an interview

2009-06-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

10 tips to prepare for an interview

In a tight job market, gaining an advantage on your competition is crucial. Here are some proven methods to distinguish yourself from the next candidate.

1.Research the company. Review their website; look at recent press releases, financial information, etc. Review the job details. If you are working through a recruiter, make sure they provide you with a job description, qualifications, and who you will be interviewing with. Also, ask them for any specific tips or advice about the meeting. They often have insights based on their relationship with the company.

2. Bring additional copies of your CV and be prepared to take notes. Take notes throughout the interview so you can reference them during a second interview or follow up.

4. Dress professionally. Even if the day-to-day dress code is more casual, wearing business attire is a must for the initial interview.

5. Arrive about 10-15 minutes early

6. During the interview:
-Be courteous to everyone that you meet; including security and administrative staff. Your interview begins as soon as you drive into the parking lot.
-Be thoughtful and concise with your answers. If you need to take a few seconds to digest the question before answering it, you can repeat back the question.
-Maintain eye contact. Looking around the room or at the floor can give the impression that you are either not confident in your answers or not interested in the process.

7. Sell yourself. This is the time to present your case for why this company should hire you. Discuss specific achievements, projects that you have led, deals that you have closed, changes you have implemented, etc. Always be truthful and prepared to show the value that you can bring to the team.
8. After the interview:

Send everyone you interviewed with a “Follow-up” note or email. Make sure the note/email is brief and conveys that you appreciate their time and are interested in moving to the next step. Try to use specific things mentioned during the meeting.

9.Be patient. We all want instant gratification after an interview, but the process takes time. Hiring manager’s will often discuss interviews with other managers/employees. This can take time…especially if managers travel or if there are other candidates to interview. If you found the position through a recruiter, follow up with them. They will get feedback for you ASAP. Being patient can be tough part when you are looking for a new job but it is necessary.

10. At this point, you have prepared properly, performed your back on the interview, and have sent a follow-up note. RELAX!
Interviewing for new opportunities can be a stressful situation and sometime is skill set different from the position you are interviewing for, but if you follow these steps, you have given yourself that best opportunity to get the position!

Good luck!

Pandemic sheds a positive light on Pharma

2009-05-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

I do not typically re-post articles but this is a great one!

No pharma-haters in a pandemic
By Tracy Staton

It's not often that we see a headline like this one: "Big Pharma Can Save Us." Perhaps it takes the threat of a pandemic to remind folks how much good the pharma business can do--and does. For whatever reason, today's wave of news on H1N1 influenza A (as we're now supposed to call it, per WHO) is full of good tidings for drugmakers. Some of the "pharma-comes-to-our-aid" variety; some of the antiviral sales-boost variety, the sort we simply read as "cha-ching!" And presumably anti-flu drug makers Roche and GlaxoSmithKline do, too.
Along those lines, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the feds will buy another 13 million treatment courses to replenish the Strategic National Stockpile and beef it up a bit more. That's $251 million worth of drug-buying, HHS said in a statement. "The...additional treatment courses will allow us to ..further ensure we are prepared to provide the American people with the treatments they need to stay healthy," Sebelius said.
Meanwhile, many governments and government agencies have fallen behind on their own stockpiling efforts, the Washington Post reports. Twenty-seven U.S. states and the District of Columbia are short a total of 10 million doses. And federal agencies, which are expected to maintain their own supplies of antivirals, to make sure they--and society--continue to function in a full-blown pandemic, haven't accumulated the drugs they need. For instance, the Postal Service, which could be essential in a pandemic, has no antivirals. None. Maine has none either, and it already has three confirmed cases of the new H1N1 virus. If you look globally, dozens of countries aren't prepared with supplies of antiviral meds. Millions more treatment courses would be needed to supply patients in a "full-blown crisis," the Post points out.
No wonder Roche and GlaxoSmithKline are ramping up production of Tamiflu and Relenza. And no wonder a Forbes columnist is waxing appreciative of drugmakers today. Antiviral meds are the key tools for public health officials trying to slow down the virus's spread long enough for vaccine makers to do their thing. Indeed, some 400,000 of the treatment courses HHS has deployed are now en route to Mexico, in an effort to trip up H1N1. "Flu viruses don't stop at the border, and it is imperative we do whatever we can to slow the spread of the virus," Sebelius said.
If a new wave of H1N1 hits in the fall--which is what happened with the 1918 pandemic--it could come roaring back stronger, virologists are saying. With this new strain spreading in Asia, where highly pathogenic H5N1 is active, there's the potential for it to pick up genetic material that makes it more virulent. That would be the "full-blown crisis" the Post mentioned. You can bet that even more people would be crying for pharma's help then. Let's hope we don't have to get to that point for another round of feel-good news.

Please feel free to share your comments…

Utilizing your Medical Degree outside of Clinical Practice

2009-04-22T09:03:00.001-07:00

I often speak with physicians who have come to a point in their career were they feel the practice of clinical medicine is not their life’s career path.
They struggling to deal with this, to deal with the emotions of having obtained so much training and then feeling like their career is not what they thought it would be.
Well, there are lots of ways to use a Medical Degree outside of the practice of traditional clinical medicine and it is shame alterative career are not spoken about in most medical school. Many times an alternative career path can allow you to effect more patients, transform the way entire populations are treated, pioneer new treatments, have a better work/life integration or save more lives than would have ever been possible “practicing” medicine.

Over the years I have referred a number of physicians to a book that speaks to this struggle; Leaving the Bedside….
(Leaving the Bedside: The Search for a Nonclinical Medical Career)
https://catalog.ama-assn.org/Catalog/product/product_detail.jsp?productId=OP392096?checkXwho=done

Many have told me they found the book helpful if nothing else than it make them feel not so alone. I am hoping to share this on a broader platform to encourage physicians to find a career that they are passionate it about.

Please feel free to share your thoughts or experiences……..

Musical Chairs Pharma Style

2009-04-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, back to were I started my Blog a few short weeks ago, focusing on the talented folks who understanding drug development; the people who are key to moving forward the pipeline inside of Mega Pharma.....

As Mr Carroll outlines below the game of musical chairs has begun:

Genentech Execs hit the door as Roche takes over
By John Carroll
The game of musical chairs at the newly-acquired Genentech has begun. And it's starting at the top.
Genentech CEO Arthur Levinson (photo) has been handed the role of chairman of a new board of directors, which will be drawn from Roche's executive ranks and also include outside directors. And Susan Desmond-Hellmann (photo), the highly-lauded president of development at Genentech and a key player in the advancement of a slate of cancer blockbusters, will stay on until the middle of the year and then hand over the assignment to someone else. She will take an advisory role and join Genentech's scientific resource board.
Richard Scheller, now the executive vice president with Genentech Research, will lead an independent center that will pursue the biotech's research and early development activities. Roche had said at the time it forged the $47 billion deal to buy the outstanding shares of Genentech that it would keep that work separate from Roche's other development work.
Pascal Soriot has been named chief executive at Genentech North America, which will combine Roche Pharma North America and Genentech. Genentech CFO David Ebersman and Steve Juelsgaard, chief compliance officer, are leaving the company.
Investors have been paying close attention to Roche's absorption of Genentech, saying that it's critical for the pharma company to keep the top talent at Genentech in order to get full value for the acquisition. But these executives have been made rich in the buyout and many seem content to move out of their day-to-day roles as Roche takes the reins.
"By and large, the Genentech leadership will move on, staying as long as their golden handcuffs require them to," venture capitalist Steven Burrill told Bloomberg in a telephone interview. "The spirit of entrepreneurship won't be the same. People who were excited by entrepreneurship will find new homes and those that are comfortable with a large corporate structure will stay."

Goodman Fills FDA's Chief Scientist position.....

2009-04-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Goodman Fills FDA's Chief Scientist Position......
Acting FDA Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein named former CBER Director Jesse Goodman as the agency's new acting chief scientist, expanding Goodman's role within the FDA. "Goodman will be a key advisor to the commissioner on scientific, medical and public health issues," Sharfstein says in a memorandum sent to FDA staff. "He knows our agency well - having served since 2001 first as the Deputy Director and later the Director of CBER."

Please feel free to share your thoughts.

Working to create a Better Healthcare setting…..

2009-04-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

Good new Book: “Why Hospitals Should Fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care “

This book speaks of moving the Healthcare industry forward and it does not blaming all the troubles in healthcare on Big Pharma or the insurance companies.
It speaks about the need to reform the whole system, the need to move hospitals forward into the technology age. With only 1.5% of hospitals fully electronic our health systems lags sorely behind our industry. We more than 260 people dying per from medical mistakes to need for change should be clear.
We need to start to look at healthcare and how to improve the system.

Please feel free to share your thoughts…..

Career Management in 2009

2009-04-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Below is a link to a timely article from Fortune Magazine titled: How to get a Job.

It speaks of the need to be proactive if you do have a job even one you really enjoy; you should build a network in your field and develop a relationship with 'headhunter' in your space.
It also pointed out that in according the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while 2.5 million people were laid off in January 2009, 4.4 million new workers were hired (numbers not often mentioned on CNN or CNBC)
David Perry of the executive search firm Perry-Martel International cautioned people to remember that in a recession many companies go stealth when it comes to hiring, that vast amount of positions maybe even as high as 90% are in a hidden job market.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/27/news/economy/yang_jobhunters.fortune/index.htm

Please feel free to share your views....

Positive Press for two Pharma CEO's

2009-03-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

In a world of almost constant Negative Press it was Wonderful to see two Pharma CEO's on Barron's Annual List of Most Respected CEO's.

Mike Huckman at CNBC wrote a nice piece about it on his Blog.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/29840802/site/14081545?__source=yahoo|headline|quote|text|&par=yahoo

The complete list can be found in the Barron's Cover Story
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB123758900419300089.html?mod=googlenews_barrons

Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments

Recruiting Life and the endless game of Phone Tag…..

2009-03-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have been in the search world for over 10 years and one thing that has stayed constant is the endless game of phone tag we play with our clients and our candidates, though it has evolved from a handwritten note of who called to a voice mail the game remains the same.

I work with mostly physicians, MD Clinical Researchers, and scientists, PhD in Discovery, like most of us these executives have very busy professional lives. They often only have a few minutes to “steal” between meetings to reach out to me and what they find more often than not is that I am on the phone.

As a Search Professional I spend the vast majority of my day on the phone. With the movement to communication via email I have become more accessible to people and the exchange of information has been facilitated, no more hanging over the fax machine or someone having to take detailed notes as I read them the requirements of a job, but the one-on-one direct communication it takes to get to know someone still requires people connect live.

When you finally do get me “live” I will likely apologize for being so hard to get a hold of, and I am truly sorry it does take so long, but the truth is it is because I am actively sourcing and networking that I am so tough to reach and for being a well trained headhunter that I am proud to be. I feel we add real value to the talent acquisition process, I still believe that one person can make a difference in the difficult process of drug development. I am working hard to find those key players for all my clients.

In speaking with me you will see we pay personal attention to each candidate and client. We speak with candidates about their career goals, their relocation concerns and what unique skill they feel they offer. With our clients we strive to learn what is specific about their needs, their culture and what they feel is unique about a career with their organization.

They say if you are good at something you could stick with it, and I am certainly good at phone tag, so it looks like I will be sticking with it.
If you have tried to reach me and ended up in voicemail, please keep trying or feel free to send me an email and we can schedule a specific time to speak.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences about how technology has helped or hurt your ability to communicate effectively.

someone else opinion... on the long-term future of the pipeline

2009-03-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

It appears other are complementing if these mergers will be effective for the long-term pipeline
here is a great articulate

please feel free to share your thoughts...

http://business.theatlantic.com/2009/03/why_big_pharma_mergers_magnify_failures.php

The Real Pipeline.......

2009-03-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Mergers of late… and of the years past were touted to be all about the pipeline. But is the pipeline the specific compounds that have been moved forward or the physicians and scientists that created them.
I would contend that the select group of intelligent and experienced individuals, who worked so diligently to select just the right compound, are the real pipeline, the real value of pharma and biotech companies.
When the headcount reductions come who will be there rebuild the pipeline when compounds fail and patents expire. These dedicated professionals will move onto new endeavors, maybe the next successful biotechnology firm will be build by those soon to be deemed redundant by “Mega” pharma. Or maybe they will just be re-hired in the back door a few months after the original layoffs.

Mega Pharma.....

2009-03-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

So here goes my first attempt to “blog” I have thought about it numerous times but was just not compelled enough to venture into this new world.

Well the news of recent days in the industry I specialize in, the pharmaceutical / biotechnology industry has compelled me to try.

The economic climate and merger as a solution mentality has now created what I am terming Mega Pharma. These new companies will be too big to be simply be called big pharma.

Will these new companies bring drugs to market more efficiently? Will they only focus on blockbuster drugs for large patient populations? Will those who suffer from orphan disorders see even less compounds in development? Will creativity and science be lost to provide pathways of development?

And as a search professional I wonder will they move further from a model that appreciates the value one key person can add to the team. When talent acquisition in many large companies becomes more like the purchasing of staples, the value of critical staff is lost.