ReleaseWire Connect

Clinical operations is an area of recruitment currently experiencing a significant boom, especially when it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT). In fact, the latest set of figures shows that clinical operations companies in the US saw the largest growth in IoT roles in the three months ending in February this year when compared to 2021. The numbers show that there are some parts of the world that are funneling more cash into developing IoT infrastructure and ability than others - and North America is right up there, especially in the clinical operations sector. In the three months to February 2021, 46.9% of all IoT clinical trial job ads related to the US. By the end of the same time period this year the percentage figure had increased to 54.6%. The figures show just how dominant the US has become in terms of IoT hiring among clinical operations companies.

A team of researchers from Columbia Engineering and Columbia University Irving Medical Center has solved one of the major issues that has frequently faced researchers when it comes to using engineered tissues for disease modeling and testing drugs. The team has developed a multi-organ chip that is made up of all the essential components of human physiology, from engineered human heart and bone to a vascular flow with circulating immune cells to link everything together. The chip is the size of a microscope slide and can be customized individually to the patient. This will provide researchers with a solution to the biggest issue of medical research, which is that every patient reacts differently. Thanks to the development of this chip, it will soon be possible to personally customize therapy for every patient, taking into account the variations that occur in disease progression and responses to treatment.

There is a new wave of pharma R&D spending happening globally - and particularly when it comes to companies in the US. While there is now limited scope for investing in R&D relating to generic medicines, due to the hot competition around these products, opportunities exist in many other areas, from specialist medicines to biologics. There are many US corporations that have the resources and facilities to focus on this in-house but others don't, which is why we are beginning to see a trend emerging in R&D spending towards outsourcing. R&D and manufacturing processes tend to have a lot of fixed costs, which is why they can be off-putting to handle internally and why there is now enthusiasm to invest in outsourcing them. As a result, companies that specialize in drug innovation and manufacturing are becoming increasingly popular - and this is where a sizable chunk of expanded pharma R&D spending is likely to end up this year.

Back in 2021, AstraZeneca bought Alexion Pharma in a $39 billion deal that was something of a landmark in the industry. It was thought that this acquisition would trigger all kinds of antitrust issues, especially in the light of a threatened renewal in antitrust scrutiny, and yet the deal sailed through in April last year. Now, all of the blood, sweat and tears that must have gone into making that deal happen have all proven to be worth it as the purchase of the Boston biotech hub really starts to pay off for AstraZeneca. That's because the first and only long-acting C5 complement inhibitor in gMG, Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz) has gained approval in the US. Due to the purchase of Alexion by AstraZeneca last year that makes AstraZeneca the owner of the approved inhibitor. Following the successful acquisition last year, a new division was set up in the company and it's thought that this has been the driving force behind the approval.

Gardasil has proven to be in great demand - a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine made by Merck & Co that has been a game-changer in terms of prevention. However, there have been issues with supply over the past few years, especially in 2018 and 2019. As a result, Merck has now revealed that it invested $1 billion to tackle the issues of supply when they arose - and the business is now reaping the rewards of that investment in terms of increasing market dominance. The company now plans to push its Gardasil capacity even further with a 225,000-square-foot API plant at its site in Durham, North Carolina, as well as expansion earmarked for the packaging facilities in Wilson nearby. Over the past few years Merck & Co has been steadily increasing the capability it has for producing Gardasil and expects to be able to double HPV vaccine supply by 2023.

R&D pipelines and new product launches reached record levels last year with sustained growth throughout the pandemic creating very positive figures for 2021. This is according to a new report that showed 5,500 planned new clinical trials began in 2021, a 14% increase on the year before. Not only that but the total volume of products that were actively being developed last year peaked at more than 6,000. This is a huge increase on previous years - for example, it's 68% more than in 2016. The report also revealed that emerging pharma companies are increasingly having an influence over new pipelines and projects. In 2021, new companies were responsible for 65% of the molecules in the R&D pipeline. In 2016 this figure was below 50%. In fact, almost all the indicators are up when it comes to pharma R&D, which shows just how much the life sciences have expanded over the past couple of years.

There are many more opportunities in biotech than there have ever been today. This is, in part, thanks to the many start-ups that have begun to dominate the sector, bringing agile working models as well as innovative products and services. Newly founded companies provide options for different ways of working, and moving away from the stereotypes that might have dominated the industry in the past. For those who are willing to take on the uncertainty that can come with working for such a new company, there are options in biotech that go beyond academia or the big pharmaceutical or biotech giants. Biotech start-ups can offer a lifestyle change, and may be much more likely to hire on the basis of aptitude and enthusiasm, as opposed to a list of credentials that has been set in concrete. The number of start-ups in biotech is also rising by the week so the range of opportunities available is getting increasingly broad.

Global healthcare advisory and technology company Alira Health has taken steps to strengthen its operations with a key acquisition. The company announced in April of this year that it had acquired Sourcia, which is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) that delivers services for Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials. Sourcia was established in 2012 and the business' focus is on medical devices, biotech and digital therapeutics. It is headquartered in Europe - The Netherlands - and has offices in many different European locations, including Munich in Germany. The integrated outsourcing model that Sourcia provides for clients to manage clinical trials with greater efficiency and trust is well established - and it is this that motivated Alira Health to make Sourcia part of its group with the acquisition. The team at Sourcia is also renowned for being innovative and very experienced and, as Sourcia is such a strong player in the European CRO market, it will give Alira Health's clinical operations a considerable boost.

The market for pharmaceutical R&D expanded significantly in 2021, its valuation increasing to $183.62 Bn. The US is currently the largest market for pharmaceutical R&D in the world and accounts for almost half of spend. In recent years costs in the R&D market have risen thanks to factors such as greater technological complexity and greater specificity in disease targets. However, small firms tend to receive access to knowledge and resources that are designed to help ensure a more equal playing field. The market overall is thriving and forecasts indicate that it will expand to a valuation of $289.64 Bn by 2027. One of the big trends to define the pharmaceutical R&D market recently has been contract manufacturing outsourcing for both clinical and commercial stage manufacturing. This is being driven significantly by the necessity of cutting-edge processes and production technologies.

Multinational pharmaceutical firm Bristol Myers Squibb has created a single R&D research campus in San Diego, California that will consolidate all its teams in the area. The move by the firm will result in a 427,000 square foot complex where the company will be able to host all its research talent in the region. The idea behind the consolidation is to "foster a flexible working ecosystem" and help to boost collaboration among all those who are working on R&D for the pharmaceutical company in this part of the country. The building, which has some impressive space and features, is also part of a talent retention strategy at Bristol Myers Squibb, and a push to find the best people to come and apply their minds on the new campus. The new facility is part of a wider development that has a wealth of facilities, including a wellness and fitness center and an organic eatery.