​90% of CEOs report that diversity is a top business priority, yet the dial towards progress has hardly moved in recent years. A quantitative study by MassBio showed that although women make up half of the entry-level positions in biotech, they fill only 20 percent of senior leadership slots and 10 percent of board seats. While a 2017 study of the US biotech industry by Natu...

​We are delighted to announce Andrew McNeilis, Chief Commercial Officer, will be moderating a panel this year at Boston BD, taking place on September 10th, 2019. This forum convenes C-level executives to discuss the most pressing business development challenges and opportunities facing the biopharma industry. This conference is a part of Biotech Week Boston, a festival of in...

​For many emerging US-based biotech companies, taking their first product to Europe is a daunting prospect. Directly launching abroad is a difficult path, with many companies deciding to out-license rights for that territory instead. While doing so cuts down risk, it typically reduces profits and inhibits the potential to create a global brand and market strategy; companies ...

​​Biotech start-ups can be nimble and responsive if they utilize a small, tight-knit, interdisciplinary team. However, the minute work-groups start to expand they are susceptible to the founder’s dilemma. So how can an elite team find the right recruits that will align in terms of their technical skills, experience and vision, as well as their cultural fit? Small teams can b...

​In the last decade, innovations in cell and gene-based therapies have changed the Oncology recruitment market. So what does a top Oncology candidate look like in 2019?In the lead-up to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual conference, we always take stock of current trends in Oncology recruitment. In 2019 new therapies, like gene editing, are driving the m...

​Up to 77% of biotech and pharma outsource portions of their analytics or production. There are many reasons to outsource, in source, or stay completely in-house. For biometrics teams, outsourcing can increase standardization while staying in-house decreases turnaround time.Biotech and pharma often debate whether to outsource analytics. Benefits of outsourcing can include re...

​​In the past, biotech startups have sought to partner with big pharmaceutical companies.  However, the market is changing — in 2019 it may be better to license directly in Europe.For a US-based pharmaceutical company, the prospect of taking a new drug to market in Europe can be daunting.  Many young biotech companies decide to out-license for royalty or milestone payments i...

​​UCSFs bioartificial kidney is an exciting breakthrough which circumvents the need for tissue-blood supply, using  cyborg-like silicon chips. In this article we explore UCSF’s Kidney Project, the latest applications of tissue engineering, and the recruitment trends within the pharma and biotech fields.We have previously discussed how the fields of tissue-engineering and reg...

​Tissue-engineered substrates like Axogen nerve-grafts and 3D-printed hydrogels have penetrated past the hype phase of the Garner hype cycle to the main market.  Tissue-engineering and regenerative medicine are hot topics lately.  While the average person associates these therapies with idealistic sci-fi, the truth is that these therapies have exited controversial trial-and-...

​Globalization and digitization have changed the world’s economy, and now they are changing health. The biotech and pharma markets make and sell the therapies we use to rejuvenate and repair our bodies. As our technology changes, so does our health, and the potential for human health has never been greater.   So how do we communicate novel therapeutics to life sciences profe...

​​In September 2018 the National Health Service England approved Novartis’ game-changing CAR-T therapy KYMRIAH® (tisagenlecleucel) for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). So far, CAR-T had only been available to patients in Europe via clinical trials.As documented by Pharma Times this treatment is approved for “patients up to 25 years old with B c...

​The Bleeding Edge is a famous documentary that scrutinizes the side effects of implantable devices. Let’s offer an unbiased analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of devices, and discuss how biotech and pharma can do better.   While the public often feels powerless to change large organizations the truth is that pharmaceutical companies are heavily regulated and subject to ...

​Antibiotics extended the human lifespan — but now they’re under threat.  Breaking news from three companies this month showcase how big pharma is stepping up to the plate.The average human lifespan has more than doubled since 1900 and this trend is expected to continue. But the biggest leaps in medical history have predominantly been due to advances in infectious disease, s...

​Gene therapy is hot right now.The human genome was sequenced in 2003 for $2.7 billion USD.  In 2018, it costs less than $1,000 to sequence a human genome and this cost is expected to decrease to less than $100 in the near future.  Welcome to the future of precision medicine.According to the National Institutes of Health, precision medicine is treatment “that takes into acco...

​Pharma and biotech are digitizing.Historically, natural resources have driven the global economy, what the OECD calls the “real wealth of nations”. However, this wealth-model has changed because for the first time in human history we can measure the details of our life at scale.  What is big data?The term ‘big data’ is used to describe extremely large sets of data that, due...

​​Introduction Pharmacovigilance professionals already work virtually. Whether liaising with patients and healthcare providers to collate data or reporting to regulatory agencies, pharmacovigilance professionals are communicating through global channels to best provide an overview of a product’s benefit-risk profile. Remote work is a natural step for this profession, yet we ...

​​Why Regulatory Affairs (RA) candidates are increasing in demandThe accelerated use of technologies in life sciences, such as stem cell research, gene therapy, mobile medical devices, and cloud computing, makes it likely that regulatory uncertainty will continue. Life sciences will need to continue to push forwards effective risk and compliance programs, for example through...