Services offered by CROs include: product development, formulation and manufacturing; clinical trial management (preclinical through phase IV); clinical, medical and safety monitoring; preclinical, toxicology, and clinical laboratory services for processing trial samples; data management , biostatistics and medical writing services for preparation of an FDA New Drug Application (NDA).

Major players in this industry include Quintiles (who will be speaking at BioBiz 2010), PPD and many more.

The CRO industry is a rapidly growing one. Industry analysers IMS Health and BCC Research estimate that the global pharmaceutical market will grow at about a 5% rate in 2009 to over $820 billion and be worth over $1 trillion by 2013 . Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the US spent approximately $59 billion on R&D in 2007, which equates to roughly 18% of their sales and is a 5% increase from the previous year.

A significant portion of R&D budgets are used for the outsourcing services offered by the CRO industry, approximately $15 billion in 2007. This figure is expected to grow at 15% over the next seven years and should increase further with the broadening of the spectrum of services outsourced to cover the entire value chain. As outsourced services in developing countries such as China and India move up the value chain to cover phase 1/2 trials, the total contracts value may go up to $20 billion by 2010.

Are you ready for an exciting career in the CRO industry? Sign up now for BioBiz 2010!

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_research_organization

Last year’s conference was a massive success with overwhelmingly positive feedback, and attracted a total of 700 students, academics, industry professionals and members of the public. With a dose of fresh perspectives, we hope to continually push new frontiers in the organization of a bigger and better BioBiz 2010.

This year, we will be getting major pharmaceutical, medical technology and manufacturing and contract research organizations down to speak to the students at the event. As with last year, it will be a panel style discussion involving many different biomedical organizations. During the two- hour lunch break, participants will get a chance to network with the industry players over a casual setting and find out more about their career opportunities or internship opportunities. At the same time, there will be ongoing career workshops where students can find out more out the specific careers they are interested in.

BioBiz has always been unique as it is the sole conference that provides an avenue for undergraduates and graduates to gain insight to the biomedical industries.

Furthermore, we have also been fortunate enough to receive the mentorship of numerous young leaders within the industry who have been vital in the continued success of BioBiz. We work closely with the Economic Development Board of Singapore and the NUS Career Center. This has also placed us in a better position to both reach out to students and to help provide the biomedical sector with the talent they need.

Schedule of Events
BioBiz 2010 Conference
Date: 27 March, Saturday, 2010.
Time: 0830-1530
Venue: The Chevrons

Pre-Conference Recruitment Consultations

The recruitment consultations involved about a quarter of our attendees in BioBiz 2009 and were very well-received. In 2010, these recruitment consultations are brought forward as pre-conference event to cater to the overwhelming response last year.
These free consultations will be conducted by external recruitment agencies specifically involve in the talent search within the biomedical sciences and technology sectors. Attendees can expect a clearer insight regarding recruitment in the biomedical industry to prepare for the winning CV and to seize the networking opportunities at the main BioBiz conference on 27th March.
Improve your current employability and secure that job in the Biomedical Industry. Limited seats available for the individual consultations. Sign up early!

NTU Pre-Conference

Company: Kelly Scientific 

Date: 24th March 2010 (Wed)

Time: 2-6pm (tentative)

Venue: Discussion room of School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering School

NUS Pre-Conference

Company: ScienTech Consulting

Date and Time: 20th March 2010 (Sat)

Time: 10-1pm (tentative)

Venue: Level 1 Seminar Room in NEC building

Conference Agenda

08.30 am

Registration & Video Presentation

09.10 am

Welcome Address

09.30 am

Panel A: manuFACTuring - Hidden Truths Explored!
Today, leading biomedical sciences companies manufacture more than $20 billion worth of medicines
and medical devices for the global markets. With a vibrant and strong biomedical manufacturing scene
in Singapore, the biomedical industry is set for growth and will continue to play a key role in transforming
medical science into innovative products for improving global health.
By introducing and contrasting two main processes, namely Biologics and Chemical Pharmaceuticals, the
panel aims to engage conferees from various disciplines to appreciate how their academic foundation
prepares them for a fulfilling future career in manufacturing. Experienced industry representatives from the
various functions typical within biomedical companies will discuss and highlight the relevance of crossdiscipline collaboration necessary throughout the entire production and manufacturing process from raw materials to finished product.
Discover the facts about manufacturing - an exciting and challenging career sector for fresh graduates!

10.45 am

Morning Tea

11.15 am

Panel B: Medical Technology
Amidst Asia’s fast-growing market opportunities, leading medical technology companies are leveraging
Singapore as a strategic home-base in Asia to drive their business expansion and innovation. Today, Singapore has built up a strong industry base of more than 30 medical technology companies that manufacture S$3 billion worth of medical devices, life science tools and instruments, and medical disposables for regional and global markets. In addition, more than 30 global medical technology companies are carrying out medical technology innovation such as value engineering and product development. The medical technology sector now provide meaningful employment to more than 8,200 people across a range of skill-sets and expertise. MedTech is a growing industry that will create opportunities for Singaporeans to contribute to the advancement of human health.
This panel will discuss the myriad opportunities that global medical technology companies offer in both
cutting-edge manufacturing and innovation.

12.15 pm

Panel C: Contract Research Organisations
Globally, pharmaceutical and biotech companies are tapping more on external research resources to boost
R&D productivity to address expiring drug patents and weak product pipelines. This trend has increased the demand for contract clinical research services offered by CROs.
The global contract clinical research market, worth US$20 billion in 2008, is expected to grow annually by 8.5% to reach US$35 billion in 2015, with the Asia Pacific market for Phase 1 to 4 clinical trials is expected to generate US$2 billion in revenues by 2010.
Pharmaceutical and biotech companies are expanding their clinical research activities to Asia due to the
region’s growing demand for cost-effective and efficacious medicines.
What are the drivers for the growth of the clinical research market in Asia? And what would be Singapore’s role in this growth in Asia?
Find out at this panel discussion.

01.15 pm

Lunchtime Networking Session

02.00 pm

Interactive Career Sharing Sessions I

• Manufacturing

• Validation

02.45 pm

Interactive Career Sharing Sessions II

• Quality (QA/QC)

• Automation

The pharmaceutical sales field is a popular choice among fresh graduates as it offers excellent salary potential, great benefits, flexibility, opportunity for growth and a stepping stone into one of the fastest growing industry in the world. Look at any recruitment website or classified ads, you will see quite a substantial number of recruitment ads for pharmaceutical/ medical sales representatives on a weekly basis, reflecting a constant demand.

Being at the frontline, pharmaceutical sales representatives need to be actively involved in the company’s business development process. They spend most of their business time on the road, talking with pharmacists, hospital personnel, physicians etc. to increase the visibility of their company’s products and the volume of their sales. (The Princeton Review, 2009) Other responsibilities span from sourcing for new clients and managing existing accounts to brainstorming new marketing strategies for products with the marketing team. Expect an intense training period and a constant need to stay abreast of products and disease states, as well as getting accustomed to medical terminology (Quint Careers). You may also need to attend trade shows and conferences and read industry publications. Of course, there is the inevitable fierce competition from representatives of different companies to get face time in private offices and hospitals with medical professionals.

What do the pharmaceutical employers looking out for? Having at least one to two years of relevant sales experience in pharmaceutical sector is of course a big plus but for those without sales experience, fret not. Pharmaceutical sales representatives with a science background have an advantage in this profession, in terms of both their credibility and their ability to educate themselves about product lines. Other common traits cited in ads include having excellent communication and interpersonal skills, sales-driven with a never-say-die attitude, confident, self-starting, energetic, and not forgetting an aptitude or interest in science to keep you going in this field.

So if you are keen to enter the pharmaceutical industry, and feel that have what it takes, why not give it a shot? You never know what rewarding experiences lie in store for you!

References:

http://www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx?cid=110

http://www.quintcareers.com/pharmaceutical_sales_careers.html

http://healthcareers.about.com/od/healthcareerprofiles/p/PharmaRep.htm

Clinical trials are a growing area of interest amongst professionals of the healthcare sector, but it must first be approved by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on ethical and regulatory grounds so that appropriate protection is accorded to the persons involved. The Medicines Act 1975 and the Medicines (Clinical Trials) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 form the basis of regulation for clinical trials. Approved clinical trials will then be issued clinical trial certificates by HSA. The number of clinical trial certificates issued by the HSA has increased by about 80% over the span of 8 years from 2000 to 2008 (HSA, 2007).

Clinical trials are necessary because they do an assessment of the medicinal product or device. In a clinical trial, a scientific analysis of the effects, efficacy and safety of a medicinal product or device is done. There are various phases of clinical trials to be completed, depending on how invasive the medicinal product or device is.

In 2008, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan delivered a speech regarding promoting clinical research in public hospitals (MOH, 2008). The Health Minister said that Singapore already has a strong foundation for biomedical research due to the development of life sciences in the Biopolis. Collaborations in translational and clinical research with local hospitals will see to the further development of a “knowledge- and evidence-based approach to healthcare”. Clinical research will aid in boosting healthcare quality and delivery and will cut costs in the future. Promoting clinical research will attract and keep healthcare professionals and medical talent in local hospitals, and consequently in Singapore.

With all the support that the government is giving to clinical research, the sector is bound to grow and develop. This opens up new opportunities and promises more for job-seekers and graduates interested in the research industry. BioBiz 2010 Conference will be highlighting the day-to-day duties of a clinical research associate in its afternoon breakout session.

Join this much interactive session and find out more for yourself (Breakout sessions only will be open to early sign ups).

What exactly is biologics?

Biologics is a subset of manufacturing processes which also comprises of pharmaceuticals and nutritionals. They are medicinal products manufactured from biological systems consisting of proteins, genes and cells. Contrast this with the small molecular drugs that are typically composed of only 20 to 100 atoms and chemically synthesized through the manufacturing process of pharmaceuticals. Biologics, on the other hand, are typically composed of 200 to 50,000 atoms (Genetech, n.d.). As such, the larger sized biologics consisting of vaccines, hormones, recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, etc. are typically injected or infused directly into the bloodstream to be effective (BIO, 2010).

Larger biologics tend to be produced as diverse mixtures of molecules that differ very slightly from one another and this makes them difficult to characterize. Coupled with a manufacturing process involving cell culture etc., the rigor of it is definitely a key challenge. Within Asia, Singapore is the only country developing capabilities across the entire value chain of biologics; from research, pilot-scale production, commercial-scale contract manufacturing, commercial-scale manufacturing to fill and finish (Drugs, 2007). A homegrown pioneering biologics contract manufacturer, A-Bio Pharma, has provided clinical-scale biologics manufacturing services to global pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers such as GlaxoSmithKline and Novo Nordisk.

By 2010, analysts expect sales of biologics products to make up 60 per cent of the sales growth of drugs (Straits Times, 2009). Find out how your degree prepares you for an exciting career in manufacturing and other roles such as supply chain, business development, and quality and validation. Be part of this engine of growth in the biomedical industry.

BioBiz 2010 Conference Sign-Up

Strike outs

Not everyone will reciprocate and respond to your follow up attempts. Try no more than three times using different methods. After that, it is time to let it pass.

Don’t be a Stalker

Everyone admire perseverance and determination, but there is a threshold where they transform into irritation for the recipient. Once you enter the realm of pestering, it is nearly impossible to return as you will be someone to avoid.

Planning

If possible write out and read your intended message before you call, mail or email – make sure you leave a positive impression. For a voicemail you may want to practice out loud.

Accepting No

When you make a request, ask for a meeting or invite someone to lunch, ask in a manner that allows them to say NO and more importantly feel comfortable in doing so. Creating this level of comfort demonstrates your professionalism and leaves time to move on to the next promising relationship.

Risk Rejection

When individuals do not respond to you, do not take it personally, and move on.

To wrap it up, your professional network is one of your most valuable assets. Professional networking meetings are one of the best ways to continually revitalize and grow your network. Networking is a lifestyle for everyone, not merely something for business professionals. People network to find a great house, or to get their child in to the right school. Musicians network to get discovered, politicians network to garner support, real estate moguls network to create the deal. Networking is a vital part of everyday life. It’s about building the right set of relationships so that you’re an insider, not an outsider.

Image: Flickr/LuMaxArt FS Collection Orange0122

It is just a few more days before the conference. To gear up for this event, the few things you should be ticking off in your checklist are:

• A pen. It can be used for writing down someone’s contact, or you can offer it to another who needs it. It can be a good conversation opener as well.

• Business cards. They are a good way to close the conversation and to keep in touch. Hold the card in between the thumb and index finger with both hands, thumbs above index fingers and with the card facing the recipient as you hand it to him or her.

• Resumes. You might want to bring hard copies of your resume if you want to approach the participating companies directly regarding job openings.

• Breath mints. To keep your breath fresh and minty.

• Read up on the industry. If you ever find it difficult to find shared interests with other people, no worries. You can just share your interest in the industry. Besides, it will be impressive if you can demonstrate a wide knowledge, or at least, interest in the field.

• Prepared Questions. Listed below are possible questions which you may ask the industry players during networking. Be creative, the questions are not limited to these only:
  • What is your background?
  • How did you position yourself for this field?
  • What are some of the current issues and trends in the field?
  • What other career areas do you feel are related to your work?
  • What do you enjoy about your job?
  • What are the skill sets that are important to your organization?
  • Can you recommend any journals, magazines or professional associations that would be helpful for my professional development?

If you have checked off most if not all of the above, congratulations! Sparking connections is just the next step to take in stride.

Image: Flickr/Pen

Let us start with the first layer; lingerie. They are undergarments, meant to support and enhance womanly curves. So with that being established, by convention they should not be obviously seen. Therefore, wear undergarments that are of the same color tone as your skin (note: not white). If you are fair skinned, wearing a light colored blouse and a dark colored bra, chances are that the attention will be on your chest and not your face. Bra straps should be sitting securely on your shoulders and not slipping off. Wear good panties that don’t bunch up or offer everyone a view of the Visible Pantie Line (VPL) underneath your pants or skirt.

Wearing a blouse or a shirt would be suitable for the event. Ensure that the blouse is non-transparent, not too tight, non-provocative and non-sequined. If you are wearing a dress or a skirt, the advisable length that your skirt should end would be at the knee or slightly below it. Thigh-high slits are discouraged. However, if you are opting for pants, the same advice would be given as for men but with a twist: pants should fall between the top of the heel to the middle of the heel. Any higher you will end up looking shorter, any longer you might be bordering on sloppy.

Shoes should be cover your toes. Remember to clean them and visit the cobbler for those scuffed heels. Regarding heel height, it is entirely dependent on your stamina. Take into account that there will be some walking in the venue, standing during networking or queuing in the buffet. Based on how heels might affect your health (Hagan P., 2008), perhaps it is safer to stay below 3 inches.

Accessories should be kept minimal. Perhaps in today’s society, nose, eye and ear piercing have become more acceptable, but in most cases, they are still considered out of the ordinary. One pair of earrings is enough; small and non-dangling ones. Make-up should be applied sparingly to give some color to the face. Clean and trim your fingernails; avoid bright colors for fingernail polish. Remember to shower and brush your teeth, and wear minimal or no fragrance.

Take a leaf out of the books of Suzanne Jung from Channel News Asia, Sarah Palin (during the US vice presidential campaign transformation) or even your insurance agents.

References:

Hagan P., September 2008. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1053601/High-heel-horrors-The-hidden-cost-body-crucial-extra-inches.html

Image: Flickr/Group Portrait 2