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
Faye Charlesworth June 2021The six essential attributes that make a successful recruiter
At SEC we’ve been running training academies as part of our onboarding process for years. They help budding recruiters hone their skills and provide the foundation they need for a successful career in recruitment, and as our academy members join with up to a dozen other junior recruiters, it provides for an excellent learning environment for those that are brand new to the industry. From the day our academy begins you are trained on every element of the job, in the classroom and at your desk, with everyone from our colleagues, the board and external industry experts getting involved in the initial training and development process. Through this extensive programme we are able to mould raw talent into brilliant recruiters - but if we're not looking for experience, what is it we hire on? At SEC we tend to look at two elements: skill and will. When hiring for our academies we like to make sure that applicants have both the soft skills and interpersonal ability to carry out the job well, and the will to succeed and learn. Here are some of the key skills that we look for in our academy joiners. Motivation We want to know what your drivers are. Why do you want to work in recruitment, and what is going to propel you through the tough days? The best recruiters are self-motivated and driven by their own goals, not just targets and KPIs set by their manager. We look for individuals who are able to demonstrate endurance and resilience, and people that are able to demonstrate an ability to maintain their drive, even through the toughest aspects of the role such as when a candidate drops out of a process, or you’re faced with rejection from a prospect client. Diligence How willing are you to push yourself outside of your comfort zone? This is a crucial factor in the journey to developing as a recruiter, particularly in the early days. The more you push yourself and the more persistence you demonstrate, the faster you will become comfortable in carrying out the more difficult aspects of the role. Your drive to overcome challenges will gradually help you expand your comfort zone and become a better recruiter. Work Ethic Everyone says they are a hard worker; on every CV, in every interview. So, if everyone says it, it doesn’t differentiate you, no matter how true! When interviewing we’re always looking for examples that demonstrate how you go above and beyond. Recruitment is not always a nine-to-five job, it’s highly demanding and requires just as much effort, persistence and hard work six months down the line as it does during your first few weeks. Thick Skin As with any sales role, you need to be able to separate the professional from the personal and deal with the rejection as it happens. Rejection can be disheartening and difficult to deal with, but the best recruiters learn from it and use what they’ve learnt to inform future decisions. The best recruiters are able to learn from their failures as well as their successes, and are able to see each outcome as an opportunity for development. Intelligence This doesn’t just mean exam results - it's having the ability to look at a situation, work out what’s happening and recognise what needs to be done. Having the initiative to take the correct action based on the information available is essential in recruitment, as processes can often require quick and informed decision making. Consultants at SEC are in control of their own desks, their own processes and their own client relationships, so we always look for people who can work to guidelines, but are also confident working independently and providing the best solution for the requirement at hand. The X-Factor You’ve got to have something about you! Recruitment isn’t just about picking up the phone and asking the right questions, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi that great recruiters have. As well as having a great work ethic, understanding of the role and a commercial mindset, we’re looking for a great personality fit too. You’ll be responsible for building and maintaining a rapport with our clients and candidates, understanding their personal situations and requirements, and acting on them personably; often something like introducing humour at the right time can be exactly what a situation needs. Someone who can demonstrate all of the above has the attributes of a great recruiter, and the learning and development programme at SEC is able to equip you with the rest. We’re holding our next academy on July 19th 2021. For more information about joining #TeamSEC and to apply for our training academy, click here.
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Candidate Resources
Jacob Stafford-Wright May 202110 Practical tips for a successful video interview
They're nothing new, but these days video interviews play a key part in most hiring processes and are commonplace even when the role on offer isn’t completely remote. Employers hiring throughout the pandemic had no choice but to adapt their interviews to be virtual, but even as restrictions ease, they have opted to retain the convenience that remote interviewing offers. What was once a possibility for the initial screening process or a first stage interview, video interviewing is now being adopted throughout the entire recruitment cycle. If you’re already used to working from home, you’re likely familiar with the technical requirements of connecting virtually and some of the challenges posed by communicating through the screen. If you’re new to remote interviews or video conferencing tech, it can be a bit of a daunting prospect. Here are our tips for preparing for and ensuring a successful video interview. Pre-interview PreparationsResearch, research, research Whether your interview is remote or in person, your interviewer will be looking for you to have some understanding of the company, hiring manager, relevant stakeholders and the position you’re interviewing for – this should be the first step of preparing for all interviews. Do your own research, but also look to your recruiter to advise too. They’re likely to have a deeper insight into the company, its people and its processes than you’ll be able to find online, and will have a vested interest in ensuring you’re equipped with all the necessary knowledge ahead of your interview. Do a test run before the interview date Whether Zoom, MS Teams, Skype or otherwise, check you fully understand how to use the technology ahead of your interview date. Have your friend, family member or recruiter set up a meeting with you if you’re unfamiliar with the tech, and run over basic functions such as joining/leaving the meeting, muting/unmuting, and enabling your camera. But a test run isn’t just about understanding the tech, it’s an opportunity to experiment with how you look and sound on camera. Be conscious of what your interviewer will see in the background, find a spot that ensures your face is well lit and in-frame, and ensure the microphone on your device can pick your voice up clearly. Dress as you would if you were heading to the company office Which might not mean a suit and tie for every interview. A technology startup will have a different culture and expectation for attire than a multinational pharma. The research you’ve undertaken (or received from your recruitment consultant) will help you decide what is appropriate for your interview. Dressing as though you’re commuting in will help you get in the right frame of mind for the interview, and show the interviewer you have an understanding of their office culture and that you’re taking the interview seriously. Test that day, and jump on early Tech can be temperamental, so you should test your camera, microphone and internet connection half an hour or so before your interview is due to start. Now’s the time to ensure background noise is as quiet as possible, and anyone you’re sharing your space with knows not to disturb you. Unlike a telephone interview, your video call is likely to have a pre-set location accessible by link. There’s none of the do-I-call-or-do-they-call uncertainty, and you’ll be able to join the meeting three or four minutes early, or wait in a holding lobby for the meeting to begin. Close your emails, shut down unnecessary programmes, turn off notifications The less your machine is trying to process during the interview, the less likely you are to face issues with your connection or device speed. Closing all but the necessary programmes also cuts out any distractions that might come from your computer and cause you to break eye contact, and helps you retain your focus during the interview. During the InterviewUse positive body language You might consider that the interviewer will only see you as pixels on a screen to be enough to forget about your body language, but keeping an upright posture will show that you’re interested and engaged, and will keep you in the interview mindset and from appearing over-comfortable. Maintaining a good, natural posture will help to compensate for some of the social cues you might give off during a face-to-face interview. Avoid using too many hand gestures, as these can cause your camera to freeze. Maintain eye (or lens) contact Ensuring your camera is positioned directly above your main display, this way you’ll naturally be looking towards it whilst looking into the eyes of your interviewer. If you’re using a laptop with a built-in webcam, the position of your camera will be lower than your face, making it harder for your interviewer to keep eye contact. Instead of sitting it on a desk, consider raising it with a laptop stand or a few books so that your camera is closer to eye level. Pay extra attention to conversational cues There’s no escaping the fact that communication is tougher over video, and picking up on the usual cues that might indicate the interviewer has finished speaking might be more difficult. Throw in delays, connectivity issues or echoes, and the flow of conversation can be very easily interrupted. Pause, listen and be patient during the interview, and take a second or two to consider your answers and give the interviewer a chance to end their dialogue. Speak naturally There could be a temptation to take advantage of the technology available to you, by keeping notes on the screen to read from or refer to during the interview. While it might be a good idea to keep a copy of your CV next to you, as your interviewer is likely doing the same thing, avoid reading directly from any pre-prepared notes. Instead, take advice from your recruiter as to the types of questions and topics that are likely to come up, and consider the things you’d like to mention in response, using examples as you would during a normal interview setting. Overpreparation or devising exact responses lacks authenticity and may cause you to put on an unnatural persona, which could be something your interviewer picks up on. Bookend with the usual pleasantries It can be easy to go into the interview with an agenda of what you’d like to speak about and an expectation of what will be covered, but take advantage of the informal nature of the beginning and end of the interview by making small talk and being friendly. Remark on what’s in the news (but keep it positive!), information on the company or a topic about the industry you’re in – this is a natural way to move into or out of the more structured interview agenda. It sounds obvious, but without those moments of welcoming you into the office, shaking hands, or offering a coffee, you miss out on the opportunity to set the tone, demonstrate your interpersonal skills and break the ice with your interviewer – and social and communication skills are extremely important in the world of remote work. Remember...While the channels may be different, the fundamentals of interviewing haven't changed, and the interviewer and your recruiter will likely make allowances for the situation. Whether it's your first remote interview or you've been through the process before, the key factors remain to come with the usual preparation, demonstrate your suitability for the role and show you're engaged with the position and company.Good luck!
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Clinical
Jacob Stafford-Wright May 2021Five biotech innovators transforming mental health care
A mental health crisis has sparked innovation from major names within the biotechnology industry, with several firms hitting the spotlight in the last few years as a result of cutting-edge research, contemporary methodology or innovative product application in the treatment of anxiety, depression, PTSD and other cognitive disorders.A particularly flourishing branch of mental health treatment can be seen in the use of psychedelics, where early research and application is garnering promising results, the likes of which haven’t gone unnoticed by major life science firms and investors alike.But the mental health market is massive, and it’s not only psychedelics drawing attention to the space. Wearables, diagnostics, artificial intelligence, and digital engagement platforms are all being explored with the intent to provide better outcomes for mental health patients. Here are five firms making waves in the sector.Lobe Sciences Lobe Sciences focus on the clinical development of medical devices and psychedelic medicines to treat neurological disorders and brain traumas, and have an impressive and diverse portfolio of 5 provisional patents – 3 for treatments that use psychedelic compounds and a further 2 for medical devices.Last month the firm announced a joint venture with Virtual Psychedelics Incorporated to develop digital therapeutic pods, set to be powered by a custom tech stack that combines display technology and biomonitoring to create a multi-sensory virtual experience."We believe this technology will be able to assist those suffering from depression, PTSD and other mental health issues. The KrysalisTM Pod is being designed as a therapeutic system capable of delivering an easy, immersive media experience, while simultaneously collecting critical biometric data in a safe and monitored environment."Sage TherapeuticsPostpartum (or postnatal) depression is believed to be the most common complication of childbirth, affecting roughly 1 in 7 people after delivering a child. Typically though, new mothers have had access to no treatments specifically designed to target the condition. Instead, they are prescribed antidepressant drugs that are approved for the general population, so it's not clear if they're safe or effective, and they don't always work.Sage Therapeutics set out to change this, and their treatment ZULRESSO became the first FDA-approved treatment for the condition back in 2019, and remains the only treatment specifically indicated for postpartum depression (PPD). In studies, mothers undergoing the treatment after childbirth experienced a reduction in symptoms of PPD in just 2.5 days, with maintained results in mood measured at the 30-day mark too.This year the company plan to launch three new trials to test an additional product, SAGE-217, against the treatment of the condition.Neuronetics Commonly prescribed treatments for clinical depression often come with the risk of adverse side effects, so many patients opt against traditional antidepressant drugs. Neuronetics provide an alternative with their product NeuroStar, a non-drug, non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that are underactive in those suffering from depression.An open-label trial into the product saw almost half of participants experience significant improvement in depression symptoms. Some also experienced an improvement in their anxiety, appetite, and energy levels.The market-leading medtech firm has delivered over 2.8 million treatments to patients suffering from depression since their product hit the market in 2008, and last year they were named as a Top 10 Neurology Device Provider by MedTech Outlook Magazine.atai Life SciencesGlobal biotech atai Life Sciences have only been in the mental health space since 2018, but are involved in almost a dozen ongoing efforts analysing the effect of various compounds on depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health disorders.Many of the therapies under research by atai make use of psychedelic compounds, but in the last year the company have also invested heavily in the digital health space, acquiring a majority stake in digital therapeutics firm Psyber and launching their own digital platform, IntroSpect.The company hope to utilise the flexibility and power of technology to meet the need of patients on their own terms, and use digital biomarkers to make mental health treatments more refined, effective and individualised.Pear TherapeuticsIn the last year, Pear Therapeutics has announced a variety of partnerships with key players in the fields of wearables, diagnostics and AI and have raised $80m to develop their digital therapeutics that aim to support the treatment of a variety of cognitive disorders.They hope to redefine medicine by discovering, developing and delivering software-based therapeutics to provide better outcomes for sufferers of depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and substance use disorder. Pear hit the news this year as the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services became the third state regulator to fund their digital therapeutics to tackle behavioural health and addiction recovery.
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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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