Specialisms
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Biometrics
We connect SAS programmers, data managers and data scientists with the latest opportunities within CROs and pharmaceutical companies.
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Commercial
Versed in the ever-changing commercial landscape, our team place professionals across a variety of verticals including marketing, sales, HEOR, market access and legal.
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Clinical Operations
In support of some of the most innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and leading CROs, our team source professionals for stages I - IV clinical trials across Europe and the US.
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Medical
We work with industry leaders in biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and CROs and support their growth in the medical affairs and clinical development space.
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RA, QA and Validation
An essential part of the drug development cycle, our dedicated team work with clients in the quality assurance, quality control, regulatory and validation fields across Europe and further afield.
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Research and Development
Those we work with rely on us to pair top talent with boundary-pushing R&D departments to ensure they can continue supporting the patient population through research activities.
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Technical Operations
From manufacturing to product development, facilities management to engineering, our team understand the skills necessary to ensure the success of a tech ops department.
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Support and Administration
Our partners trust us when it comes to connecting professionals with opportunities across all aspects of their business, including support and administrative roles.
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TeamSEC
Yanick Millet May 2021SEC Spotlight: Progressing my career, making a return after leaving and going fully remote
Yanick joined us at the start of 2018 from a background in recruitment and marketing operations, and quickly cemented his place as a valued member of our biometrics division, now working both perm and contract roles and supporting biotech, global pharmaceutical and CRO clients. After leaving us briefly to pursue a role outside of recruitment, Yanick rejoined, gained two promotions in less than two years, and kicked off this year with a leaderboard-topping Q1.Yanick is now among our highest billing consultants, is a go-to person when it comes to operations on the biometrics and data science front across Europe, and works entirely remotely from his home from in Basque Country, Spain.What made you choose SEC?I joined after checking out the website and getting a feel for what the company values were, and I also got the impression that life sciences would be a really interesting market to recruit into. After speaking to the internal talent team I could tell the environment would be welcoming, and when I understood what the onboarding process would look like I was sold – I knew I’d quickly become comfortable with the market knowledge needed to do the job. Right from the interview process I already felt like I’d joined the team. I could comfortably express my ideas and expectations about the role, and any concerns I had were listened to carefully. That initial feeling I got was a key reason I decided to join (and re-join!).You left SEC briefly and decided to come back – what drew you to return?I did make the decision to leave SEC after being approached directly for a position outside of recruitment, and it was a move I was convinced would be right for me and my career – it’s easy to get drawn in by the allure of pastures new. I realised after a couple of months, and completing a couple of projects, that I wasn’t getting that same buzz I felt at SEC and in a recruitment environment.When I made the decision to change roles it was made clear by my team and the management at SEC that there’d be an open door should I want my old desk back. It stayed in the back of my mind throughout my time in the other role, and when the time felt right I had a chat with the internal talent team again and re-entered the recruitment process at SEC.When I returned it really was like I never left. I picked up my market again, reached out to contacts I was previously engaged with and was welcomed straight back into the team.How has SEC enabled your career progression in the last couple of years?I’ve been provided with the autonomy to work and expand my own market, and that’s what had ultimately led to me being successful and being able to progress my skills and career. I’ve also been provided a good amount of guidance when I’ve found myself unsure of what my next steps might look like, and being surrounded by knowledgeable people means I’m constantly learning and thinking creatively about my approach to work.I’ve been supported by the management team when I’ve had doubts or struggles, and they’re always there for more information or an alternative strategy to whatever I’m trying to achieve. I’ve found that with the right attitude and a clear understanding of the end goal, you’re able to visualise the steps to getting there with help and collaboration from the team here, while still maintaining control of your own desk.You’re working fully remotely now, how has SEC supported on that front?The fact I’ve been able to transition from being office-based to permanently home-based without it affecting my work is something I’m really appreciative of. I’m given the flexibility and trust to manage my own time, and the tech and infrastructure to work from halfway across Europe and still collaborate effectively with the team.We have great team catchups every couple of days, and at the end of each week we hold the company-wide wrap up meeting, so that’s really helped in maintaining a connection to the culture and dynamic at SEC despite being in a different country to most of the team here.What would you say to someone considering joining the team?If you’re happy to learn, want to be involved in a multicultural environment, have a natural curiosity and are excited about growth opportunities, you’ll be provided the materials you need to be successful, which is exactly what I saw when I decided to join.I’m really excited about the future of SEC, and we’ve gone through a lot of changes in focus this year – my market for example, has shifted to focus on some new geographical sectors that are set to grow this year. It’s definitely not easy to face change head-on, but change comes with opportunity, which is a motivator for us all.I’m excited at the prospect of welcoming new members of the team this year too, we’re discussing growing our division by two or three in the coming months, so I’m looking forward to providing what I was provided back in 2018.
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Digital Health
Michele Vinciguerra April 2021How the pandemic exposed a need for digital transformation in healthcare
In the wake of the pandemic, the healthcare and life sciences sector faced an overnight need for operational change. Companies were forced to grapple with new challenges that were brought alongside the virus whilst still fulfilling the everyday commitments of their role. Now we should be looking to futureproof our healthcare systems through further refinement and regulation of digital.A History of Tentative InnovationIn an industry as scrutinised, regulated and monitored as life sciences, adoption of new processes or technologies on a wide scale can be frustratingly slow compared to other industries. When we attended Digital Pharma Advances just a month before the pandemic hit last year, a live survey revealed only 1 in 5 attendees were optimistic about their organisation’s ability to deliver a strategy for digital. The reality is that every new program, strategy, and piece of technology has to be meticulously reviewed before being introduced to patients or healthcare professionals (HCPs).Although they were well underway, initiatives around telehealth, healthcare analytics and digital patient engagement were considered a bit of a nice to have prior to the pandemic. The coronavirus was a catalyst that accelerated the need for such tools and gave the sector a pressing need to get these systems in front of patients and HCPs, in order to give patients an alternative way access to information during lockdown, to alleviate the demand put on frontline health workers, and to solve a multitude of other issues highlighted by the pandemic.The New Normal of Digital HealthThe digital transformation of healthcare has been accelerated rapidly in the last year, with innovations reflecting similar uses of technology in other industries and helping patients access care in new ways, taking pressure from healthcare workers. Interestingly, many of the most successful innovations have come from use of existing tools; the use of email, video conferencing, webchats and online engagement platforms are nothing new, and have been supporting other service sectors for years, but new uses within the last year have cemented their necessity in a healthcare setting and the industry is unlikely to fully return to the way things were.As well as alleviating pressure on frontline workers, the adoption of digital is creating a better patient experience. Prior to the pandemic, patients needing to access care may have needed to travel to see their GP or a physician and be required to wait in a waiting room. In being offered a telehealth appointment this wait time is cut, and access to the same level of care is possible from the comfort of their own home.In an age where we lean on digital conveniences for so many aspects of our lives; video conferencing to collaborate at work, smart devices to gather information or order our groceries, online platforms for managing our bills – we now expect that our healthcare experiences will be equally as convenient and effective.Futureproofing Digital InfrastructureIn order to contend with the ever-changing situation, decisions on the adoption and distribution of digital technologies were made at a dramatically increased pace during the pandemic. Advances such as telehealth had to scale rapidly last year, which leaves us on a bit of a shaky foundation that we need to ensure is structurally sound before any more is built upon it.These experimental offerings now need analysis, review and further regulations in order to be scaled further. Long-term effectiveness must be assessed, and each new platform and process analysed for thoughtfulness and put forth for political approval. The cybersecurity element also has to be considered; the further we delve into adoption of digital, the more channels are open to cyberattack, so opportunities to create slick and automated patient experiences have to be approached tactfully given the sensitivity of the data involved.The digital acceleration we’ve gone through in the last year has big implications for the life science industry. Now, it’s up to the industry players and healthcare regulators to ensure the progress made so far provides a solid trajectory that opens the door to further innovation, better care and ease of access.
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Regulatory Affairs
Sergio Carito April 2021How do I break into regulatory affairs? Trends, insights and career advice
Regulatory affairs professionals play a critical role in the pharmaceutical industry and are involved at all stages of the drug development process, providing support and direction that enables other departments involved in the process to deliver effective healthcare products across the globe. Their work ensures products are approved by pharmaceutical regulatory bodies, a vital step in bringing any new treatment to market. Why regulatory affairs?Regulatory affairs has been a cornerstone of our operations for over 20 years. There is demand for professionals at each stage of the clinical trial process, and the market is made up of a diverse range of individuals from a variety of backgrounds. The tactical and strategic industry is favoured among life scientific professionals who are looking for a career that isn’t lab-based, but is still very much on the forefront of the drug development effort. A position in the reg affairs field often brings a higher level of job security than in similar research and development positions, as product failure won’t necessarily put a regulatory affairs professional out of a job. It’s also a great route for graduates; entry-level roles are accessible for those who have a bachelors or a masters, a PhD isn’t often required.There is good career progression in within the field of RA, and once you gain experience it’s easy to move from a junior administrative role into a more senior role with advisory functions. There is also the offer of flexibility, with some senior professionals opting to freelance or provide consultative services, both options that lend itself well to working from home.What are employers looking for? A key trait for those looking to enter the field is a meticulous eye for detail. A huge requirement is analysing and submitting heavily technical documentation, which often has to be done toward a tight deadline to meet market launch dates. Organisation skills are essential, and you must be able to recognise and rectify mistakes quickly and efficiently. Communication skills are important too; Many RA professionals deal with all sorts of individuals involved at different stages of the drug development cycle, and knowing how to manage these relationships effectively is essential.The truth is that there’s no single requirement for candidates to enter the field. This makes researching roles and getting your foot in the door quite difficult and could be enough to lead a candidate to look elsewhere. Networking is invaluable for those looking to start their career, and organisations like TOPRA are great for graduates seeking career advice. An undergraduate or postgraduate scientific degree (biology, microbiology, pharmacy, biochemistry, pharmacology or similar) is the first step in getting into RA, and experience in drug development is a bonus. Candidates who are successful in the field come with a variety of backgrounds and career experiences, the only common thread being a strong interest in the drug development cycle and information analysis.The future of regulatory affairs is bright, and as with other areas within pharma, developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning mean the RA landscape is evolving. New roles are being introduced and there are new responsibilities for those in the field; There is a growing need for people to be accustomed to working with AI, and the ways in which people are working keep changing as we discover its full capabilities.It’s an exciting time to be in regulatory affairs, and demand for professionals is high. Do you have questions about your next move within the field, or seeking advice on how to begin your RA career? View our open roles, or send us your CV or question over on our regulatory affairs page.
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Clinical
Rebecca Law April 2021From experimental treatment to viable therapeutic: the rise of psychedelics in the treatment of mental health disorders
A mental health crisis has highlighted an urgent need for new treatment options for sufferers of anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. This need has opened the door for a flourishing new sub-sector of the life science industry, and 2021 is set to bring new clinical research as major players tune in to the benefits of psychedelic medicines. In the US almost 1 in 5 people suffer from a mental health problem of some kind. In the UK this is as high as 1 in 4, and here reliance on antidepressants is close to double the level it was 10 years ago. The human brain, though, is complex and difficult to study, so uncovering the roots of a psychiatric illness to develop potential treatments isn’t easy. Coupled with the fact that a person’s diagnosis may change several times throughout their life, progress on developments of drug treatments for mental illness has been frustratingly slow when compared to traditional therapeutic areas. "Research and development in this area has been almost entirely dependent on the serendipitous discoveries of medications. From the get-go, none of it was ever based on an understanding of the pathophysiology of any of the illnesses involved."Thomas Insel, Former Director of the US Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)Research into the efficacy of psychedelics has boomed in the last decade as rates of mental health problems has risen and attitudes toward treatments have changed, and such research has yielded promising results. In the last two years the first treatments using drugs like psilocybin (the chemical compound present in magic mushrooms), ketamine and LSD have received approval in the US, EU and Canada, and are being ushered from the lab into pharmacies and therapists’ offices thanks to pioneering firms like COMPASS Pathways, Numinus and MindMed. Early Research and Application Following a successful $80m investment round during Q2 last year, London-based mental health care firm COMPASS Pathways is conducting a world-first large-scale trial into the use of psilocybin against treatment-resistant depression, which spans 20 trial sites in nine countries across the EU and US. The company received FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation back in 2018, and in February this year the biotech announced the expansion of its Discovery Centre as well as research collaborations with three world-leading psychedelic research scientists. "Our mission has always been to accelerate patient access to evidence-based innovation in mental health. This is more important than ever now, with COVID-19 challenging our mental resilience. This shows that our investors recognise this urgent need for innovation in mental health and will enable us to do more research and development, bringing therapies safely to those who need them, as quickly as possible."George Goldsmith, CEO and Co-founder of COMPASS PathwaysEarlier this year Swiss-based biotech MindMed announced the start of their trial measuring and evaluating MDMA and LSD, with the goal of understanding how they could be used together to create better patient outcomes and develop more advanced psychedelic therapies. It’s not the first time LSD has been used for research into mental health treatments, but it’s the first time both have been researched when used in combination with MDMA, which is hypothesised to offset some of the known negative effects of LSD that occur in clinical settings. Another major name in the field is Canadian firm Numinus, a company with an ecosystem of healthcare solutions centred around research into psychedelic-assisted treatments. At its 7000-square-foot facility, they are cultivating and harvesting the mushrooms that produce psilocybin in order to develop standardised extraction methods, research product formations of the compound, and explore the delivery of safe and evidence-based psilocybin-assisted therapies in clinics. The Future of Mental Health Care? We need more large-scale studies involving diverse populations to learn as much as we can about the way that these treatments work. There is a lot still up in the air about the effects of psychedelics to treat mental disorders, but early trials and applications are encouraging. What we do know is that psychedelic-assisted treatments can be powerful in reducing the suffering for at least some sufferers of anxiety, depression, PTSD and other mental health problems. We know that the stigma around discussion of mental health has seen a positive shift recently, so it’s a welcome sign that an increasing number of life science companies are focusing their attention on research that could lead to mental health treatments that compliment or prove more effective than those currently in the mainstream healthcare system.
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Commercial, Digital Health, MedTech
Emma Hobbs March 2021The top five stateside locations for jobs in medtech and digital health
2020 was the most funded year in history for medical technology, beating 2019 by 55% even with the pandemic, so it’s a great time to work in the medtech and digital health fields. Here are the areas that should be on your radar if you’re considering a move into the industry. Cash often dictates the top locations for medtech and digital health more than any other indicator, and more of this is being spent in fewer, more concentrated clusters across the states. These areas bring together a mix of prestigious educational institutes and strong healthcare systems, and are home to companies that bring in millions of dollars of capital investment each year. Insights from PwC suggest that this year we can expect to see the fields of robotics, wearables, genomics and diagnostics bring in a huge amount of investment and dictate M&A agreements.San Francisco, California Owing to the 3,000+ biotech and medical device firms that call it home, the area of San Francisco, San Jose and the surrounding areas of northern California is known as Biotech Bay, and has almost 100,000 life science professionals working within its borders making an average salary of $164,123. The tech sector has long been making major advances in this area, so it’s a natural hotbed for medical technology firms too. The area leads in terms of innovation with more patents filed than anywhere else in the US, and in 2019 ranked highest for VC investment in digital health, bringing in $2.7b of capital funding.New York City, New YorkBack in 2016 NYC announced a $500m deal to establish itself as a world-leader in life science R&D, and since then has cemented itself as a global leader in bioinnovation. In neighbouring New Jersey, you’ll find major corporations such as BMS, J&J and Novartis, but NYC itself has attracted a number of digital and medtech startups in recent years. New York State is now second to California when it comes to digital health VC funding. In the first half of 2020 alone $1.5b of capital investment went to the NY digital health sector, surpassing 2019 by 25%, with the largest deals among firms dealing in healthcare analytics, telemedicine and patient engagement platforms. The number of start-ups established and headquartered here creates a huge amount of opportunity for professionals, and together with New Jersey the states rank #1 for job opportunity within the US.Boston, Massachusetts A hotbed of innovation and drug development, over 600 biotech, medtech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies call Boston and its surrounding areas home. Funding levels have shown uninterrupted growth in the last decade, and total investment to companies in the city has broken the billion-dollar threshold every year since 2013, hitting a peak of $8b in 2019. Among this list Massachusetts is the only state that showed a significant increase in the amount of VC funding to digital health firms from 2018 to 2019, with a 37% increase from $704m to $1,033m. High-calibre universities and local research institutions like Harvard, MIT and Tufts provide the city with a strong pipeline of future innovators. It’s estimated over 700,000 professionals with backgrounds in biology, biomedical sciences and engineering reside in Boston and its surrounding counties.San Diego, California With California housing 10% of the worlds’ top 100 universities, it’s unsurprising that it isn’t just northern California making its mark on the digital health and medical technology industry. Southern California, specifically San Diego but also LA and Orange County, is home to around 1,400 health technology firms. The average wage is a little lower than upstate, coming in at $127,345, but opportunity is rife with the industry employing more than 140,000 people.Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Anchored by three major universities, North Carolina State, Duke and University of North Carolina, is the region referred to as the Research Triangle. More than 500 life science firms operate in the area, and thanks to the formation of IQVIA the area is known as the birthplace of the CRO. But CROs and multinationals aren’t the only companies booming in Research Triangle; cutting-edge cell therapy companies and ground-breaking medical technology firms are examples of the type of companies that have established themselves in the area over the last decade. Innovation, education and a culture of collaboration are key drivers of the area’s success, and we can expect it become increasingly associated with cutting-edge medical technology in the coming years.Seeking your next move? Check out our latest jobs here.
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TeamSEC
Louis Gicquel March 2021We’re elevating the offering we provide to our life science partners – here’s how
Equipped with almost 40 years combined experience in life science recruitment, our new Client Services division offer a bespoke approach to staffing by responding to your business goals and unique pain points.For over 30 years we have been building companies in the global life sciences industry. From start-up and emerging biotechs to global pharma, innovative medtech and medical device companies to strategy and tech transformation consultancies; we deliver talent solutions that enable our clients to achieve their mission.It’s our ongoing commitment to providing a well-rounded and bespoke staffing solution that has led to the appointment of a dedicated Client Services Division within SEC. The Client Services team work with our partners to develop and deliver a growth strategy that’s tailored to the goals of each business. Working with our partners to gain an in-depth understanding of the organisation, the team are able to provide strategic direction when it comes to headcount and team structure, and develop an approach that ensures the best possible chance of reaching that next company milestone, whether it be a trial launch, product commercialisation, funding round or major buy-out.The division is complemented by a team of market experts focused on providing recruitment services across a variety of specialisms; discovery & development, clinical & medical, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence & biometrics, tech ops, strategy and commercial. We've been providing services in these areas for years, and look to continually develop our expertise with the changing life sciences landscape.Our Client Services TeamLouis Gicquel, Client Services DirectorLouis brings over 15 years of life science staffing experience to our client services division, and has provided leadership as our sales director at SEC since 2017.Emma Hobbs, Client Services ManagerWith more than 11 years experience supporting SEC clients and a further 5 in staffing and recruitment, Emma heads up our operations in the US and provides solutions to our clients in the medtech, biotech and consultancy space.Rachael Conroy, Principal ConsultantRachael has 5 years of life science staffing and account management experience, and is responsible for providing services within the DACH region.Our Client Services ProcessStage 1: AttractWe'll conduct a deep dive into the purpose, goals and fabric of your business to uncover opportunities for growth and the structural and headcount changes you might need to make to achieve them.Stage 2: AssessWe'll devise and present a fully bespoke recruitment program utilising all our routes to market, presenting you with the most relevant, qualified and motivated candidates.Stage 3: AttainWe'll work on collaborative campaigns to support you in telling the story of your business. we’ll provide updates on the candidate market, work with you on employer branding campaigns, and engage passive candidates on your behalf so you're always ready when it comes to hiring.We’re delighted to be able to service more of our partners’ needs through continual development of our solutions. Appointing a dedicated Client Services function ensures that we continue to deliver best in class service, at speed, to support the growth of our clients across the life sciences space. To understand more about how we can support your growth and provide strategic input tailored to your business, get in touch today.
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Biometrics, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence
Wayne Marshall March 2021Machine learning: The next frontier of drug discovery and diagnosis
The drug development path is long, complicated, and expensive. For the patients that need it most, waiting for a treatment can be agonising, and currently 95% of rare diseases lack any FDA-approved treatment. Artificial intelligence and its subfield of machine learning has the power to change this.Approval rate for drugs entering clinical development is less than 12%, and with the average cost of developing a prescription treatment sitting at $2.6 billion, those in drug development are turning to technology that detects signs that might indicate a greater likelihood of product success or approval, whilst the product is still in the discovery or R&D phase. It can take over 10 years from discovery to commercialisation of a treatment, so a huge motivator for large pharma to invest in this type of technology is the potential to shave time from this process. An oncology programme from Genentech (now a member of the Roche Group) and GNS Healthcare announced back in 2017 uses machine learning tech to covert high volumes of cancer patient data into computer models that can be used to identify new pathways, novel targets and diagnostic markers that could lead to new treatments. The benefits of utilising artificial intelligence reach far beyond just a cost or time saver for the company developing the drug. Synchronicity of real-world data and machine learning technology can shorten the amount of time it takes for a patient to receive a diagnosis and reduce the likelihood of a misdiagnosis. In medical diagnosis a patient’s symptoms are recorded, analysed, and a healthcare professional aims to determine the ailment that could be causing them. Machine learning technology can take a set of data – consisting of clinical or biological criterion of patients, any diagnoses they’ve received, and any environmental and genetic data – and match these with the data collected from a patient. The larger the data set, the more points of reference the AI will have to determine a diagnosis, and the greater the likelihood of an accurate one. One example of a firm currently using machine learning to aid diagnosis is UK-based start-up Babylon Health. Their chatbot technology compares the symptoms inputted by a user against a database of potential causes, and recommends an action based on the symptom severity, the history of the patient and other individual circumstances. In response to mild headache symptoms, the app may recommend over-the-counter medication, but if more serious symptoms are inputted, the app may suggest going directly to the hospital. This does present a limitation in that the performance and accuracy of the technology is dependent on the depth of the dataset, but it’s a promising indicator that these processes could take place without the need for human intervention, meaning patients get quicker access to the care and information they need. Machine learning is becoming more widespread, is attracting a huge amount of media attention and capital investments, and outcomes are becoming increasingly impressive. There is still a distance to cover, though, before it really hits the mainstream. Before cementing itself as a standard component in the drug development cycle, educational programmes, thorough proof-of-concept studies and data hygiene standards have to be considered. Until then, these early applications of machine learning in medicine provide glimmers of a future where data and technical innovation play a critical role in discovery and development.
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Biometrics, Clinical, Big Data
Catalin Zaharia February 2021What is real-world data, and how can it be used to inform healthcare strategy?
We are living in the age of big data. Drug development companies are swimming in information that can inform their processes and assist them in bringing a treatment to market; but this information is no longer solely generated through clinical trials.As the cost of healthcare continues to rise and companies face pricing pressures, there comes a growing need to demonstrate the benefits of a treatment outside the regulated environment of a clinical trial. So, companies are turning to real-world data (RWD) to demonstrate the value of their product on a real-world population.What is real-world data? Any insights into a treatment gathered outside of a clinical trial setting could be a source of RWD. Health records, wearable devices, healthcare apps, patient-recorded outcomes, even insurance claims all can provide evidence to support the effectiveness of a product. As it’s captured within the healthcare system itself, against real patients rather than trial subjects, it can provide an additional dimension to observations gathered during clinical trials. Why is real-world data so important? With a deeper insight into how treatments are being used and the effects of a drug, RWD can provide regulators the information they need to assess post-market safety and produce risk/benefit analysis; key enablers for regulatory decisions and market approvals. The data can not only inform decisions made regarding commercialisation, but can help inform those involved in research and development as to the needs and requirements of a patient population. But the scale of data available does far more than help companies bring their treatments to market quicker. Importantly, it enables us to further understand the patient journey, and provides a huge opportunity for companies to improve patient outcomes. By producing RWD, patients act as integral participants in the future of their own healthcare. What does the future of real-world data look like? The sheer amount of data currently available is overwhelming; for one treatment there could be hundreds of thousands of seemingly relevant pieces of RWD, and most organisations lack the resources to effectively collect and analyse it, which is why we’re seeing larger firms invest in machine learning technology or partner with start-ups specialised in AI. We’re also seeing a rise in demand for professionals with RWD/RWE experience. Some of the larger industry players will follow in the footsteps of companies like IQVIA, in establishing and developing their own RWD capabilities and offering. We’ll see more cross-departmental collaboration, among physicians, pharmacists, statisticians and pharmacologists, as we work to discover new ways of collecting and analysing RWD. Advances in cloud-based technology, artificial intelligence, and automation could help smaller firms discover the benefits of using RWD. Providing them with more access to information about who their treatments effect, in what context, and at what price, will shorten their product pipeline and enable faster patient access. Ultimately, continued data openness will enable companies to develop forward-thinking healthcare strategies, such as personalised medicine, which can address previously unseen problems and put the patient population at the heart of treatment production. As machine learning technology also advances, we’ll see healthcare professionals be able to make faster, more accurate diagnoses through access to this real-world data, and variables that might’ve been previously overlooked will be used to inform a deeper understanding of patients’ conditions.
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Clinical
Jacob Stafford-Wright February 2021Women in Science Day 2021: Four life science pioneers shaping modern medicine
February 11th marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a day that recognises and celebrates the critical role women play in STEM industries. Since 2015 the number of women graduating in core STEM subjects in the UK has grown from 22,000 to almost 25,000, but still females make up only 26% of those graduating in STEM subjects, and just 24% of the average STEM workforce – this figure drops to as low as 10% for some industries. Now in its sixth year, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science was adopted to pave the way toward gender parity in educational opportunity within STEM and scientific participation and preparation. To celebrate this year, we’re looking at four pioneers within the life science industry that are transforming the medical landscape through leadership and technical innovation.Carolyn Yarina, CEO and Co-Founder of Sisu Global HealthWhen a patient suffers internal bleeding, surgeons have two options; reach for a blood bag, or recycle the patient’s own blood using a process called autotransfusion. In many developing countries, though, lack of access to blood banks or a lack of blood donorship might mean the surgeon doesn’t have access to a blood bag, and the technology typically used for autotransfusion is expensive and requires power – a commodity not always available in emerging markets. After founding a non-profit that supported mobile clinics in India, Carolyn went on to co-found Sisu Global Health, a company focused on the research, development and commercialisation of medical devices aimed at emerging markets. The Sisu-developed Hemafuse, a handheld medical device that replaces the need for donor blood by recycling a person’s own from internal bleeding, launched in Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana last year. Allysa Dittmar, President and Co-Founder of ClearMask With over 95% of those living with hearing loss saying masks and facial coverings impact their ability to communicate, Allysa, who has been deaf herself since birth, set out to design a transparent mask with her fellow public health students at Johns Hopkins University and co-founded ClearMask LLC. Allysa and the team at ClearMask have developed the first FDA-approved transparent face mask, allowing for the deaf and hard of hearing that would usually rely on lipreading for communication to do so clearly, without the obstruction a standard face mask would cause.Dr. Crystal Icenhour, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Aperiomics A rising star of American biotechnology, Dr. Crystal Icenhour holds two patents, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications and is a prolific speaker at many scientific conferences. In 2014 she co-founded Aperiomics, a bioinformatics firm that uses advanced data analysis and next-generation sequencing technology for detecting infectious disease. Where traditional infection testing might look at one bacteria, fungus or virus at a time, DNA sequencing technology developed by Dr. Crystal’s firm can identify every known pathogen there is – that’s nearly 40,000 microorganisms – from within a single blood sample. It’s the mission of the infectious disease firm to transform infection testing, and leverage the power of technology to advance human life and quality of life. Dr. Kimberly Smith, MD, MPH, Head of R&D at ViiV Healthcare Dr. Kimberly Smith heads up research and development at the only company wholly dedicated to HIV therapies, ViiV Healthcare. During her time at ViiV Dr. Kimberly has launched more than 25 late-stage trials for seven new medicines, and is working to revolutionise the management of HIV through regimes that decrease the lifetime exposure to medicines by suffers of HIV. Since working on the frontline of the AIDS epidemic as a clinician in the 1980s, Dr. Kimberly has made it her life work to answer the unmet needs of those living with the illness, and has been a public advocate for female and PoC representation in STEM professions and in exec level roles.
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Clinical
Reece Harding February 2021When it comes to demand in the clinical sector, Covid-19 remains top priority
More than a year has passed since Covid-19 first hit the headlines, and across the world nine vaccines have received authorisation for use in various geographies. But for firms involved in researching and trialling treatments for the virus, it isn’t job-done just yet. When it was announced that some of the major frontrunners in the race to develop a Covid-19 had succeeded in their mission, a collective sense of relief was felt, and the eyes of the public shifted from trial progress to the vaccine roll-out. But for those working in the clinical space, the priority remains with the effort to develop further treatments. With over 2,500 clinical trials in active or recruiting stage globally, opportunities for professionals in the clinical operations field are still dominated by the Covid-19 effort – particularly when it comes to the contract/freelance market.Mutated strains of the Covid-19 virus pose a potential new threat to the geographies in which they’re circulating, adding weight to the burden already felt as a result of the pandemic. These mutations emphasise the importance of the result of these ongoing trials, almost 75% of which are in phase II or phase III stage, as researchers continue to uncover the indirect or long-term effects suffered by those who have had the virus. With the US, Germany and the UK all topping the list for the highest number of ongoing vaccine studies, demand for CRAs, clinical trial managers, and site managers is high to cope with the demand on the major trial sites in those geographies. Shortly after the World Health Organisation first declared Covid-19 a global emergency and much of the world entered a lockdown, many ongoing and new clinical trials were halted to prioritise studies into the virus and continued later in the year. The ripple caused by the halting of these trials, along with the fact new Covid-19 vaccine trials are registered to begin each week, suggests that this high level of demand for clinical professionals will continue throughout 2021 and well into 2022. The length of Covid-19 trials being registered are also longer on average than we saw at the beginning of the pandemic, so we can expect the average contract length for freelancers to increase too.We can expect to see more vaccines demonstrating high efficacy in the coming months, as well as a deeper understanding of the long-term effects of Covid-19 and how to treat them or stop them from occurring. The current vaccine roll-out effort continues to progress and make headlines, but in order to advance our knowledge of the virus and its variants, clinical trials and research into treatments or preventative measures for Covid-19 will continue to progress at a high level too.
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