Careers in pharmaceuticals

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW AND HIRING TRENDS ★ ANATOMY OF A COMPANY★ ON THE JOB: REAL PEOPLE PROFILES

CAREERS IN PHARMACEUTICALS

i n s i d e r g u i d e

★★

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2011 edition

InsIderGuIde

Careers in Pharmaceuticals


WetFeet

1518 Walnut St. Suite 1800 Philadelphia, PA 19102

Phone: (215) 546-4900 Fax: (215) 546-9921 Website: www.wetfeet.com

Careers in PharmaCeutiCals

2011 Edition ISBN: 978-1-58207-979-0

PhotoCoPying is Prohibited

Copyright 2011 WetFeet. All rights reserved. This publication is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. No copying in any form is permitted. It may not be reproduced, distributed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, in part or in whole, without the express written permission of WetFeet, Inc. The publisher, author, and any other party involved in creation, production, delivery, or sale of this WetFeet Insider Guide make no warranty, express or implied, about the accuracy or reliability of the information found herein. To the degree you use this guide or other materials referenced herein, you do so at your own risk. The materials contained herein are general in nature and may not apply to particular factual or legal circumstances. Under no circumstances shall the publisher, author, or any other party involved in creation, production or delivery of this guide be liable to you or any other person for damages of any kind arising from access to, or use of, its content.

All illustrations by mckibillo


CHAPTer

21 41 the

PharmaCeutiCal industry at a glanCe

7 the industry

8 Overview 9 Anatomy of a Big

Pharma Company

10 The Drug Development Cycle: How Big Pharma Works

13 Top Therapeutic

Classes

14 Industry Trends

19 Hiring Outlook

19 The Bottom Line

43 the WorKPlaCe

44 Company Culture 44 Diversity

44 Lifestyle

45 Compensation

45 Training and Continuing Education

45 Insider Scoop


323 on the Job

24 Research Jobs 24 Clinical Development

and Medical Jobs

26 Manufacturing and Quality Assurance Jobs

27 Business Operations Jobs

28 Sales Jobs

29 Real People Profiles

7655 getting hired

56 The Recruiting Process

57 Interviewing Tips

58 Getting Grilled 59 Grilling Your

Interviewer

61 For your reFerenCe

62 Industry Lingo 65 Recommended

Reading

66 Online Resources

contents

549 the ComPanies

50 Big Pharma

The Pharmaceutical Industry at a Glance

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At A glAnCeinDustry caPsulETh e global pharmaceutical industry discovers, tests, and markets chemical entities to treat or prevent a wide range of human affl ictions. Today pharma-ceutical (pharma) fi rms in the U.S. spend roughly $50 billion per year on research and development to bring new drugs to market. Th e industry counts among its customers not only the patients who use the prod-ucts and the physicians, nurses, pharmacists, benefi ts organizations, but myriad other health-care profession-als who make daily decisions on how to improve peo-ple’s health and well-being.

Since the last quarter of the 20th century, the industry has come to incorporate biotechnology, the fi eld of science that aims to replicate or revise cellular functions to be more predictable or governable in some way. Th is integration has largely occurred through the acquisitive attitude of Big Pharma—that handful of players that dominate the industry—toward biotech companies, which tend to be small and focused on research and development rather than sales. By scoop-ing up its competition, Big Pharma grows its market share and allows the industry to reduce its R&D departments, instead augmenting them with biotech acquisitions.

Biotechnology addresses more than the production of medicines and diagnostic tools for treating illnesses; it also intersects with sectors such as the environment and agriculture. (Th e debate regarding genetically modifi ed crops, for instance, illustrates the role of biotech in agricultural production.) Where it dovetails with pharma, biotech opportunities are typically no diff erent—jobs in both fi elds have the same require-ments, though nonscientists will generally fi nd fewer opportunities in biotech because the larger company in a merger already has marketing and sales staff in place.

oPPortunity ovErviEwPharmaceutical companies employ people with all kinds of backgrounds for all kinds of jobs. Some of the principal professional careers in the pharmaceutical industry include:• research jobs: Scientists, lab technicians, engi-

neers, software developers, and physicians work at the forefront of drug research and development. Th ere’s a high demand for scientists with back-grounds ranging from molecular biology and bio-chemistry to combinational chemistry, informatics, and statistics, as well as for scientists with manage-ment experience.

• clinical development and medical jobs: Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, scientists, and statisticians play critical roles in ushering developmental drugs through clinical trials and maintaining relations with the medical community once a drug is on the market. People with excellent communications skills and a willingness to work in a highly regulated industry fi t well in the regulatory aff airs arena, serv-ing as liaisons between Big Pharma and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or its global counterparts.

• manufacturing and quality assurance jobs: Many types of engineers—chemical, electrical, industrial, packaging, and mechanical—and scientists can fi nd ample opportunities in manufacturing, process development, facility design, and quality assurance.

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• Business operations jobs: This category is huge, encompassing a diverse array of positions through-out a pharmaceutical company. MBAs and others with a business background will find opportuni-ties in marketing, business development, finance, strategic planning, project management, HR, and purchasing.

• Sales jobs: Drug companies maintain huge staffs of sales reps who work to keep physicians, hospitals, HMOs, and other medical institutions abreast of—and partial toward—their company’s drugs.

Points of Entry into PharmaThe pharmaceutical industry favors candidates who have science degrees. But, those with non-science degrees will find corporate, sales, and marketing positions open to them, too. Here are typical points of entry into the industry based on a candidate’s education or professional experience. • Those with MS degrees and some lab experience can

enter the field as research associates; those with a BS or BA can land jobs as pharmaceutical field sales reps, especially if they already have some sales experience.

• MBAs can find a variety of jobs in finance and marketing; jobs in business development are harder to come by without industry experience.

• PhDs who’ve completed their postdoctoral studies usually enter the industry as associate scientists.

• Many types of engineers—chemical, electrical, indus-trial, packaging, and mechanical—can find ample opportunities in manufacturing, process develop-ment, and quality assurance.

• Registered nurses and other medical professionals can find opportunities as clinical research associates, and pharmacists can apply their experience in marketing and publications divisions.

• MDs oversee drug development programs and drug safety divisions. Most doctors tapped for such duties have significant clinical and research experience and solid professional reputations.

major PlusEs • You work for a company whose products can improve

or save lives, and possibly eradicate terrible diseases.• Those who seek a job with a lot of structure often can

find it in pharmaceutical firms.• For scientists, the industry offers an alternative to the

low pay of academia; for MBAs, it requires fewer hours than consulting or banking.

major minusEs • Though your work can help save lives, the bottom line

almost always comes first.• With the specter of consolidation always on the hori-

zon, the pharmaceutical industry no longer offers ironclad job security. The industry has also been rocked by several controversies.

• Very few potential drugs make it from conception to market.

rEcruiting ovErviEwA 2010 Labor Department survey predicted that the number of pharma manufacturing jobs will increase 6 percent through 2018, compared with 11 percent for all industries combined. Here are some tips to help you get a jump on those statistics:• The more technical your skills, the better. However,

don’t overlook the need to show that you’re well-rounded and have strong communications skills.

• The best way to get the attention of recruiters is to know someone on the inside. Get out there and net-work. A good place to start—in addition to family and friends—is your school’s alumni association. Try

InsIder sCOOP“There are plenty of openings for MDs in the industry; the biggest step is usually deciding to give up clinical practice. For people who have made this decision, networking is usually the most effective means of landing a job.”



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to find people who work in the industry and may be able to make valuable referrals.

• If you don’t have experience, consider starting with a job in one of the larger companies, which tend to be good training grounds. Your chances of landing a position are also better at a bigger organization. In 2008, pharma and medicine manufacturing firms with more than 100 workers represented approxi-mately 87 percent of the industry’s employment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Employ a global outlook. As with many other industries, fluency in an additional language or simply a committed multicultural outlook can only help you in today’s global pharmaceutical market-place. Although this is certainly the case for market-ers tasked with selling their medicines to physician and patient segments worldwide, today’s trend toward global drug trials means that even those in the clinical realm will have better job prospects if they demonstrate they can manage study sites, investigators, and patient bases in other countries.

undergradsCompanies in this industry offer attractive co-op assignments and summer internships for science and business students. They also offer numerous entry-level research, analytical, sales, and finance positions that

frequently require only a bachelor’s degree. Try net-working through your school’s alumni association and visit the websites of companies to read more about how to apply for specific positions.

mBasMost Big Pharma companies recruit for the all-impor-tant summer internship at a few core schools, and espe-cially at MBA programs in the Northeast; contact your career center to find out who recruits at your program. To bolster your job-seeking efforts, work hard to find a personal connection on the inside.

PhDsA lot of recruiting goes on via networking within pro-fessional organizations, at industry conferences, and through postings in scientific journals. Talk to your professors to find out if they know people in the indus-try with whom you might schedule an informational interview.

mDsHeadhunters play a significant role in recruiting MDs. A number of search firms have practices—sometimes run by doctors—that focus on recruiting physicians. Don’t hesitate to contact the human resources depart-ment of any company that interests you.

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The Industry

2Overview .......................................8

Anatomy of a Big Pharma Company .........................9

The Drug Development Cycle: How Big Pharma Works ..............10

Top Therapeutic Classes .............. 13

Industry Trends........................... 14

Hiring Outlook ........................... 19

The Bottom Line. ........................ 19



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Overview› Pharmaceutical comPanieS make medi-cines from plant- and chemical-based compounds. Insiders refer to the handful of multinational giants that dominate the industry as Big Pharma. Although many of these firms also produce animal health prod-ucts, livestock feed supplements, vitamins, and a host of other goods, this guide will focus solely on their drug products used to treat human illness.

The majority of Big Pharma companies are head-quartered in the U.S., but several are based in Western Europe—specifically the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, and France. Most pharma companies head-quartered in the U.S. are located east of the Mississippi, with the greatest concentration in New Jersey.

Depending on their size and strategy, pharma com-panies may conduct extensive research in-house or they may seek to license promising drugs from academia, other pharma firms, or biotechnology companies. The latter firms are generally smaller than their Big Pharma competitors, and they employ cellular and biomolecular processes to make medicines or diagnose illness.

growth at a PriceBig Pharma is one of the world’s most profitable indus-tries. During the past 30 years, the industry has spent billions of dollars on research and has reaped billions in return. In 2010, the pharmaceutical industry intro-duced 44 major drugs and sold $850 billion in prod-ucts worldwide—a 4 to 5 percent increase from 2009 sales, according to the drug market research firm IMS Health.

But the process that turns research dollars into medicines that can help patients is a slow and often heartbreaking one. It takes an average of 15 years and $1.8 billion to nurture a drug from initial discov-ery through approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Despite the billions of dollars com-panies spend annually on drug development, the FDA approves only a handful of drugs each year. Nevertheless, the prize is great enough that pharmaceu-

tical companies are willing to stake their R&D dollars on a new drug becoming a so-called blockbuster: one that exceeds $1 billion in annual sales.

The arduous drug approval process reveals a central fact about Big Pharma: It is one of the most intensely regulated industries in the world. The FDA and its European Union counterpart, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), govern every aspect of a drug’s devel-opment. The regulatory bodies review and approve companies’ detailed clinical study instructions, called protocols, as well as drugs’ chemical compositions and manufacturing methods. They stipulate how data must be collected and conveyed, and they examine packag-ing components and marketing pieces before they will approve a drug for marketing. The strict oversight is meant to protect patients, and pharma companies take regulatory oversight seriously. The constant pressure to adhere to government mandates shapes every aspect of a pharma firm’s organization, operations, and culture. For example, drug companies maintain powerful regu-latory affairs divisions—the departments that deal with government agencies—and they tend to be risk-averse.

a cornucopia of career optionsPharmaceutical companies employ people from the ranks of many professions to perform a host of jobs. Here are just some of the professionals who play instru-mental roles in drug discovery and drug delivery pro-cesses: • Scientists with undergraduate degrees, master’s

degrees, and PhDs engage in drug research and development. They design and monitor quality assurance and control operations to ensure products meet federal safety standards.

• engineers from a variety of disciplines develop drug manufacturing processes and facilitate drug develop-ment by creating automated research techniques.

• Physicians design scientifically rigorous clinical tri-als to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of drugs under development.

• Software developers build information systems that

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model molecular structures and they design massive databases that enable researchers to capture and ana-lyze the results of experiments and drug trials.

• Salespeople persuade doctors and other medical professionals, managed care organizations, and gov-ernment agencies to give their companies’ products preferential treatment.

MBAs also have plenty of opportunities in the phar-maceutical industry. Those working in finance track the movement of the vast sums of money that are bor-rowed, made, and spent within a company and around the industry. Others create and execute marketing plans for established and fledgling drugs. In business devel-opment, MBAs compete for the rights to ideas and technologies that might give their firms an edge in the race for the industry’s holy grail: an FDA-approvable, marketable compound that gives patients relief without unpleasant side effects.

This discussion may foster the impression that jobs in Big Pharma are reserved for those with advanced scientific degrees. Big Pharma is the domain of brainy people, and the industry rewards those who have advanced degrees in any number of disciplines. On the other hand, there are many entry-level opportuni-ties for those with undergraduate degrees in science or business. But keep this in mind: Continuing education is required for advancement in Big Pharma regardless of your degree upon entering the industry. So even if you’re starting out with a PhD, count on attending scientific symposia and participating in professional associations to maintain a viable career. What’s more, Big Pharma is noteworthy for encouraging employees to earn dual degrees in business and science. Because

of the complexity of the field, pharmaceutical manag-ers and executives most often come from the ranks of science professionals who earn MBAs after building an industry track record.

AnAtOmy Of A Big PhArmA COmPAny› Pharma firmS tyPically are complex, hierar-chical organizations with plenty of matrixed reporting relationships. Those that operate on a global scale—and that’s just about all of them—don’t usually duplicate all of their operating divisions in every country where they do business. At a minimum, there may be a sales and marketing office in each territory outside the country in which the firm maintains its global headquarters.

In terms of structuring their core operations, phar-maceutical firms tend to organize R&D, sales, and marketing professionals into teams, each of which is focused on a single therapeutic category of drugs, a topic we’ll cover a bit later. From a functional point of view, here are the operations that take place in most pharmaceutical companies:• Discovery is science in action. This arduous but

inspiring process involves the work of chemists, biologists, physicians, and even computer scientists in their quest to identify promising new compounds from a variety of sources. Only 1 in 10,000 can-didate drugs identified during discovery make it through the product development pipeline.

• Development ushers new compounds—often called clinical candidates—through the lengthy process of testing in animals and humans. A drug development team oversees clinical trials at independent medical institutions and collects data on safety and effec-tiveness. The company then submits this data with the application to secure FDA approval to market a drug.

• Pharmaceutical operations comprise all the activi-ties that are undertaken to manufacture drugs and

InsIder sCOOP“There is too much functional segregation. Smart people can succeed anywhere and should get to rotate around more in the company.”



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pharma, it frequently also includes strategic plan-ning and business development.

• human resources help pharmaceutical companies hire a diverse assortment of professionals, and hir-ing is typically national or international in scope. As a result, Big Pharma firms have large and elabo-rate human resources departments. As in other industries, the HR function governs recruiting, compensation, benefits, training and develop-ment, conflict resolution, and diversity initiatives. Because pharma companies tend to invest heavily in professional training and continuing educa-tion, staff development often is a special area of emphasis.

the Drug DevelOPment CyCle: hOw Big PhArmA wOrks› Drug DeveloPment followS a predictable process; understanding that process reveals how Big Pharma works. With that in mind, we offer this ficti-tious saga of Gitajob® (generic name: initiativudine), a promising new agent from Damptoz, the large phar-maceutical arm of the diversified global powerhouse WetFeet Worldwide.

2007 Damptoz R&D isolates a compound that appears to hold promise for treatment of slackerosis, a psychiat-ric syndrome found most commonly in young adults and characterized by depression and heightened lev-els of cynicism. Because no slackerosis treatment is on the market, Damptoz decides to explore its viability as a potential drug. Scientists begin to explore the com-pound and conduct animal testing to study its safety and effectiveness. At this point in its life cycle, Gitajob hasn’t been assigned a go-to-market name; it’s known

to ensure they comply with federal or international regulations. Divisions of this function include man-ufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, sup-ply chain management, facilities engineering, and environment health and safety.

• Drug safety operations involves the work of physi-cians, nurses, scientists with PhDs, pharmacists, and statisticians who collect, aggregate, and interpret safety data from clinical trials and from patient and physician feedback about existing products. Drug safety staffs work closely with R&D and regulatory affairs experts to report their findings to government agencies.

• Sales and marketing develops strategies to promote drugs through the company’s field sales network or by using advertising and other channels to reach customers. This operational division involves mar-ket research and other analytical functions well-suited to MBAs.

• medical affairs involves the activities of medi-cal service liaisons (MSLs), a cadre of field-based MDs, PhDs, and PharmDs who act as emissaries between the company and opinion makers in the medical community (physicians, researchers at medical schools, and government health agency officials, for example). MSLs are not concerned with short-term marketing goals, which is why this function usually is not part of marketing. Instead, they cultivate peer relationships within the medi-cal community so the company can understand and influence the direction of medical research and practice. In short, MSLs help a pharmaceuti-cal company position itself strategically so that its long-term drug development plans are in sync with trends in the practice of medicine. As a side func-tion, medical affairs also coordinates medical edu-cation opportunities for health-care professionals and patient groups.

• finance is another broad function. This divi-sion handles all the company’s accounting activi-ties, financial reporting, and investor relations. In

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solely by its internal control number, DTZ-2104. Animal test results are mixed: rats and mice

become more focused on assigned tasks in their cages, but other animal data are inconclusive. Despite mis-givings about DTZ-2104’s ultimate prospects as a suc-cessful drug, Damptoz continues to move it through the product pipeline. Staff chemists and chemical engineers evaluate various ways to get the compound into a deliverable form (in this case, how to turn it into a pill) that can be manufactured cheaply. Other engineers begin to figure out the best chemical meth-ods for mass-producing it.

2011 The regulatory affairs department submits an investi-gational new drug (IND) application to the FDA to indicate the imminent start of human clinical trials. Because the IND makes the compound public informa-tion, WetFeet Worldwide registers a patent. All patents on a compound last for 20 years, during which time the patent holder has exclusive rights to all of its commer-cial applications.

2012Clinical trials commence. During the course of sev-eral years, they progress from Phase I, in which fewer than 100 people are enrolled and safety is the primary focus, to Phase II, in which a few hundred people participate and effectiveness joins safety in the com-pany’s evaluation of DTZ-2104. Phase III usually requires at least two large placebo-controlled, double-blind studies (some patients get the drug, others get a sugar pill identical in appearance, and neither doctor nor patient knows whether the drug or the placebo is being given). Phase III is done to ensure the drug has a greater clinical benefit than the placebo. The Phase III work ultimately involves 1,300 patients on three continents, and these people are selected at random to be drug patients or placebo patients. Because of harm-ful side effects or lack of effectiveness, 19 in 20 drugs under development don’t make it past clinical trials.

2020The compound makes it through Phase III! Damptoz’s regulatory affairs department submits a new drug appli-cation (NDA) to the FDA. The application is 40,000 pages, a bit shorter than average. Several of the super-visors in regulatory affairs are taking a gamble that the FDA will make good on its promise to require less paperwork when processing NDAs. If the gamble fails and the drug gets labeled nonapprovable, a sub-sequent NDA will cost Damptoz millions of dollars in the short term and, based on time lost on the product’s patent life, probably tens of millions in the long term. If another manufacturer has a competing drug that is also close to approval, the losses could be substantially higher.

After much agonizing and countless quantitative marketing studies, the sales and marketing departments set the pricing for Gitajob and construct a marketing strategy. This includes deciding which direct-to-con-sumer (DTC) and/or professional channels to use for advertising, designing visual aids for salespeople to use when they detail (sell to physicians), and presenting the drug at professional conferences. The marketing divi-sion of Damptoz has been conducting elaborate mar-ket research for three years, identifying the physician specialties most likely to prescribe it, as well as when: first-line, before a patient has tried any drug treatment for slackerosis, or second-line, after a conventional antidepressant shows no benefit after three months of use. The marketing team interviews hundreds of likely



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patients, asking them if they would consider a drug for their condition and how much they would be willing to pay for it out-of-pocket and via a prescription plan. The marketing folks also need to find out how best to address Gitajob’s unusual primary side effect, which is urine discoloration in 30 percent of patients. Moreover, a small number (3 to 6 percent) of asthmatics reported seizures while taking Gitajob. Are the apparent benefits of the drug a fair tradeoff for its risks?

The pressure to maximize revenue is huge because all of the hundreds of failed drugs that don’t make it through development have to be financed by block-buster drugs. Chemical, mechanical, industrial, and process engineers in manufacturing have moved into high gear to get the compound into production in Damptoz factories worldwide. The Asian market, notably Korea and Japan, is clamoring for the drug to be sold there, but tariff complications have slowed the approval process and the Japanese government is threatening to omit the drug unless Damptoz cuts its wholesale price by 23 percent. Can Damptoz reps detail the drug to doctors anyway? And if it’s officially illegal to do so, how steep are the penalties?

2021 The FDA approves the compound for prescription use to treat slackerosis in teenagers, but not adults because a handful of fraudulent patient records were uncovered by FDA audits of adult patient charts at two study centers. As a result, Damptoz can promote

Gitajob (its brand name is now in use) only as a treat-ment for teens; any attempts to portray it as useful in adults will be much frowned upon by the FDA. (Even though the fraudulent charts numbered only 4 of a sampled 52 in a study in which total patients enrolled was in excess of 1,300, all of the study data are now suspect and the burden of proving its legitimacy belongs to Damptoz.)

2031Gitajob, though not the blockbuster Damptoz had hoped for, has racked up billions of dollars in sales. It’s a good thing, too, because the patent expires this year, which means that a number of generic drug compa-nies will put out their own formulations of the drug (Damptoz gets permanent rights to the original brand name). Demand for Gitajob will drop precipitously; the generics, which are chemically identical to the branded agent, sell for 70 percent less than Gitajob. But Damptoz still has a few tricks up its sleeve. The company has already begun to market and patent a new, extended-release version of the drug, which will be sold under the name Gitajob XR. While standard Gitajob must be taken every eight waking hours, Gitajob XR needs to be taken only once daily. In addi-tion, the company has submitted applications to the FDA to convert the drug from prescription to over-the-counter status. If the application is granted, Damptoz will be able to ply Gitajob on drugstore shelves nation-wide and capitalize on its brand recognition.

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tOP therAPeutiC ClAsses› the Pharmaceutical inDuStry makes thousands of drugs, with annual sales often relied on to indicate the top performing therapy classes. However, it may be more helpful to know which are showing increased sales, which are plateauing, and which have

Fastest Growing Therapy Classes by Average Sales Growth, 2005–2009

theraPy Class 2009 2008 2007 2006 20052005–2009 average groWth (%)

autoimmune agents 18.0 19.3 17.4 21.6 32.0 21.66

oncologics 8.8 13.4 15.8 21.6 19.2 15.76

angiotensin ii receptor antagonists 11.5 13.3 14.0 15.2 18.3 14.46

respiratory agents 11.0 5.9 11.9 11.4 13.8 10.8

hiv antivirals 14.9 12.7 12.8 10.9 11.4 12.54

antidiabetics 13.4 10.1 10.8 12.7 12.6 11.92

antipsychotics 4.6 7.7 11.4 11.7 11.0 11.28

Platelet aggr. inhibitors 9.0 10.4 8.7 8.1 10.1 9.26

narcotic analgesics 8.6 8.9 12.9 –1.1 3.1 6.48

non-narcotic analgesics 7.3 4.1 7.9 3.1 6.7 5.82

antiepileptics –19.8 9.8 13.7 11.3 1.3 3.26

lipid regulators 4.9 –1.2 –5.8 7.9 6.9 2.54

antiulcerants 0.6 0.0 2.6 3.0 4.2 2.08

antidepressants –1.3 1.1 –6.2 3.6 –3.6 –1.28

erythropoietins –4.1 –13.2 –8.3 12.0 7.2 –1.28

Source: Pharma Exec News

dropped. For instance, although lipid regulators are one of the five largest drug classes by sales, their growth is not as impressive as the class of autoimmune agents, which has averaged nearly 18 percent annual growth.



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These rates may be of particular interest in the evolv-ing pharma landscape, where specialist-driven products such as oncologics and autoimmune agents (drugs that treat immune system dysfunctions) are drawing greater attention among industry executives (see more in “Industry Trends”).

inDustry trenDs› Pharma haS Been among the world’s most profit-able industries. In 2008, for example, companies listed in Standard & Poor’s Pharmaceuticals Index posted a 15.9 percent average return on sales compared to a return of 4.5 percent for S&P’s Industrials Index as a whole.

Global demographic trends suggest healthy returns will continue. The average life expectancy, for instance, is lengthening worldwide, and chronic diseases are on the rise. Combined with the aging populations of the largest markets, these trends bode well for pharma because the elderly as a group represent about one third of prescription-drug consumption.

Pharma welcomes these forecasts because, despite enviable returns, the industry’s profitability has fallen in recent years. (As a contrast to its return on investment in 2008, the return for the S&P Pharmaceuticals Index was 18.7 percent six years earlier.) There are a number of reasons for the decrease, but certainly the recent global recession has played a part. As financial markets tumbled, unemployment skyrocketed, resulting in large numbers of workers losing medical insurance coverage. Analysts also identified rising health-care costs as a con-tributing factor in the decline of visits to doctors offices (down 4.2 percent in 2010) as well as in the slowdown in newly initiated chronic drug therapy regimens.

Pharma has come back from such slides in the past, usually through the introduction of premium-priced breakthrough therapies that have created or expanded new markets. Our rundown of ways the industry is responding to changes in the fiscal and regulatory envi-ronments indicates pharma is once again adapting its approaches in an effort to maintain top market share.

falling off thE PatEnt cliff anD into a sEa of gEnEric DrugsPharmaceuticals executives today stand at the preci-pice of the patent cliff, the term the industry uses to describe the high number of patent expirations on top-performing brand medications. Pharma edged close to the cliff in 2009 and 2010, when more than $32 billion of branded products’ market share became vulnerable to new generic competitors that could capitalize on patent expirations during the two-year period. The industry was expected to fall from the cliff in 2011–2012, when no less than six of the world’s ten highest selling drugs—Pfizer’s Lipitor and Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi’s Plavix among them—lose pat-ent protection. Although revenue comparisons are expected to improve after 2012, continued patent expirations may jeopardize as much as $250 billion in sales by 2015.

The patent cliff hasn’t frightened everyone. Manufacturers of generic drugs have been thrilled by the phenomenon. According to IMS Health, Inc., a market-research firm specializing in pharma-ceuticals, makers of generic drugs produce alterna-tives that replace more than 80 percent of a branded product’s volume within six months of that product’s patent loss, forcing drug prices to drop by nearly 85 percent. With so many of the industry’s top selling branded medications losing patent protection in recent years and with more expirations promised in the near future, IMS expects revenue for the global generic drug sector to increase at double-digit rates during the next few years from 2009’s base of $83 billion. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the largest of the global generics companies, projects the expansion will reach between $135 billion and $150 billion by 2015.

Even after the patent cliff sales boom tapers off, makers of generic drugs can look forward to boosted revenues because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in 2010 in the United States, the world’s largest pharmaceuticals market.

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Signed into law by President Barack Obama, the federal legislation is meant to lower health-care costs and extend coverage to the approximately 31 mil-lion Americans without it. The expanded coverage, which Americans can expect to begin enjoying in 2014, will significantly widen pharma’s end-user base. With managed care and governmental health entities expressing near unanimous support of generic drug use, manufacturers of generic drugs couldn’t be more

pleased. Already, 78 percent of prescriptions written by physicians in the United States in 2009 were for generic drugs, a 21 percent spike from 2004, reports IMS. The uptick represents significant cost savings for the U.S. health-care system; in 2009, generics saved the country almost $140 billion, according to the Generic Pharmaceutical Association. It’s no surprise, then, that managed care and government health orga-nizations promote generic drug use so fervently.

Top 10 Drugs in 2010 by Sales

drug manuFaCturer total sales ($m) 1-year % Change

nexium astraZeneca 5,276,153 4.9

lipitor Pfizer 5,272,576 –2.3

Plavix bristol-myers squibb 4,675,483 10.2

advair diskus glaxosmithKline 3,655,206 –1.0

oxycontin Purdue Pharma lP 3,554,751 13.1

abilify bristol-myers squibb 3,514,265 12.7

singulair merck & Co., inc. 3,324,909 8.9

seroquel astraZeneca 3,222,055 2.4

Crestor astraZeneca 2,922,687 27.0

Cymbalta eli lilly & Co. 2,638,536 7.6

Source: Drugs.com



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Major Potential Patent Expirations of 2012 by 2009 U.S. Sales

brand name manuFaCturer indiCation 2009 sales ($m)

seroquel astraZeneca schizophrenia, bipolar disorder 3,482

singulaire merck asthma, allergic rhinitis 3,465

actos takeda type 2 diabetes 2,782

lexapro Forest depression 2,554

levaquin ortho-mcneil bacterial infections 1,632

diovan novartis hypertension, ChF 1,469

diovan hCt novartis hypertension 1,376

triCor abbott laboratories high triglycerides 1,350

lidoderm teikoku Pharma usa Postherpetic neuralgia 1,064

viagra Pfizer erectile dysfunction 1,000

geodon Pfizer schizophrenia 975

Provigil Cephalon narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnolence 966

lunesta sepracor insomnia 804

avandia glaxosmithKline type 2 diabetes 436

avapro sanofi-aventis hypertension 413

avalide sanofi-aventis hypertension 359

avandamet glaxosmithKline type 2 diabetes 207

Clarinex schering-Plough allergic rhinitis 207

altacand astraZeneca hypertension, ChF 162

Source: Standard & Poor’s

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if you can’t BEat ’Em, join ’EmWith $30 billion worth of drugs primed for generic competition in 2011 (the United States accounts for $17 billion), makers of generic drugs competed among themselves to establish market advantage, affording branded drug companies time to develop ideas for recouping losses—such as the old stratagem, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” Since 2009, mergers and acquisitions among manufacturers of generic drugs have moved at a fast clip; S&P maintains the accel-erated rate will remain consistent in the years ahead. This activity has resulted in part from generics’ desire to quicken their globalization while sidestepping slow-downs in individual markets. Like their branded coun-terparts, generics also have wanted to expand their sales base and achieve higher returns on investment through cost economies and operating synergies.

Teva, for example, acquired Ratiopharm, the sec-ond largest maker of generics in Germany, in 2010 for $5 billion. The company outbid Pfizer and Actavis, a generics outfit based in Switzerland, in an auction for the acquisition. Teva’s success gives it a higher profile in the European generics market, which some analysts believe will grow more quickly than the U.S. market during the next five years.

Big Pharma also has tried to control the generics segment by developing branded generics. These brand-name versions of original products sell at higher prices than their no-name generic cousins but are less expen-sive than true branded products. The approach isn’t meant for the U.S. market, where consumers tend to view makers of generics as interchangeable. In addition, chain pharmacies, where Americans are increasingly purchasing their medications, typically decide which generics they’ll sell based on the lowest available prices. Branded generics are instead a product line traditional brand-name drugmakers are pursuing in emerging mar-kets such as Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, where medications are usually out-of-pocket expenses for consumers who, often unable to pay for expen-sive brand-name drugs, fear purchasing counterfeit or

low-quality versions. Branded generics, which display trusted local or overseas manufacturers on their pack-aging, alleviate these fears by conveying authenticity and quality control. However, as government health coverage and private insurance become more common in emerging markets, consumers may be encouraged or required to purchase low-cost generics instead of mid-priced branded generics. However, analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company have said it will be at least ten years before that comes to pass.

thE Pharmerging countriEsForecasts for pharmaceutical sales in 2011 for developed nations versus the 17 countries that comprise what IMS has dubbed the pharmerging markets—Brazil, Russia, India, and China among them—showed a wide gap. Developed nations indicated flat to low growth at 3 to 5 percent, and predicted growth for emerging mar-kets stood at 15 to 17 percent. Sales in China alone were expected to advance 25 to 27 percent for 2011, and pharmerging markets are expected to account for 48 percent of total global pharmaceutical growth in 2013, a 12 percent gain from 2009.

Numerous factors—weakening economies, sover-eign debt issues, patent loss, mounting pressure around drug pricing, slowing demographic trends—have affected growth among established nations. In contrast, developing nations are experiencing remarkable booms in population growth as well as gross domestic product. Rising levels of disposable income also are allowing citi-zens to purchase goods and services previously unavail-able to them; however, for many in the developing world, affordable health care remains far out of reach.

Such good fortune has its ills as well. As develop-ing countries begin to enjoy some of the advantages of the most developed nations, their populations start to

TIP>To be prepared for your interviews, understand what’s happening in global as well as local markets.



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adopt behaviors (such as smoking, increased alcohol intake, overeating) that lead to poor health. Illnesses that affl ict developed nations—diabetes, cancer, heart disease—become more common, leading to higher rates of pharmaceutical consumption.

While these changes augur good news for the industry, the approach Big Pharma has taken in the past—create the drugs in the West and then push them in the East—may need rethinking in this new climate. For instance, pharmerging economies are showing signifi cant price pressures that suggest an opening for branded generics. In addition, products created in the West are not always relevant in emerging markets. Virally induced cancers, for example, are far more com-mon in China than they are in Europe. And, insurance and payment systems in these countries diff er markedly from those in the West.

Regardless, many drug manufacturers have begun cultivating inroads within pharmerging markets, with European companies showing better representation probably because of their earlier entry and of the histor-ical ties binding Europe to developing Asian countries.

EsPEcially for you: thE risE of PErsonaliZED mEDicinEDevelopments in genomics (the study of genes and their functions) allow doctors to diagnose patients more precisely; in turn, drug companies have the ability to tailor medicines according to patients’ genetic makeup. In fact, in some cases, drugs that proved ineff ective dur-ing normal clinical trials could be useful as targeted therapies for certain patients. Welcome to the dawn of personalized medicine.

Th is new era is prompting greater collabora-tion between manufacturers who, facing the patent cliff , are all too aware of revenue loss in the billions as well as the increasing criticism from government and private health systems regarding rising costs. By partnering with other drug companies, manufactur-ers can share exponential R&D budgets and the risks and gains of developing medicines. A recent batch of

medicines treating a range of diseases from cancer to hepatitis C almost demands such relationships—some drugs only work in tandem with specifi c medications or are believed to perform better when combined with other drugs.

Related to the rise in personalized medicine is greater interest among companies in the development of orphan drugs: medication that treats diseases aff ect-ing smaller numbers of patients than can cover the costs of development and distribution. In an eff ort to assist manufacturers, the FDA’s Offi ce of Orphan Products Development recently launched the Rare Disease Repurposing Database, which allows compa-nies to search for two types of drugs: those that are already considered orphan drugs, having been sub-jected to pharmacokinetic and toxicologic testing, and as those that have received FDA approval for certain therapies. Th e FDA has expressed hope the database will minimize the trial and error that plagues discovery.

Th e relationships these developments encourage have not been frictionless. When Eli Lilly announced its partnership with privately held Boehringer Ingelheim in 2011 for a diabetes treatment, Amylin Pharmaceuticals took off ense, claiming the team would create a rival drug for a therapy Lilly and Amylin already sell. Amylin sued, but such lawsuits may be the byproduct of this new era. GlaxoSmithKline CEO Andrew Witty, during his fi rm’s yearly meeting in May

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2011, said, “Almost everybody we are working with is either suing us or we are suing them. However, if we refused to work with people who sued us, we would not have any friends at all.”

BiotEch BoomWith the threat of the patent cliff encouraging vigor-ous exploration of improved pipelines, pharma has turned to biotechnology as a potential avenue for new products that will offset patent loss and push future growth. Slashed R&D budgets across the industry also have played a role as pharma eagerly seeks companies that are far enough along in product development to allow manufacturers to move the product to market quickly.

Smaller biotech operations receiving second glances from global Big Pharma and from midcap biotech firms looking to acquire their fledgling brethren are, for the most part, grateful for the attention. The recent worldwide financial crisis has nearly crushed the IPO market, and small biotech outfits have struggled to secure investor support. The intense interest from drugmakers hoping to invigorate their pipeline has been a relief to biotech startups, with entrepreneurs acknowledging that taking a product all the way to market is no longer standard business practice. Recent mergers and acquisitions that have made news include the 2011 Japanese takeover of California-based Plexxikon by Daiichi Sankyo for approximately $935 million and Kyowa Hakko’s purchase of ProStrakan for $475 million in the same year.

hiring OutlOOk› although the Pharmaceutical market is expanding on a worldwide basis, R&D costs are rising even faster. Something has got to give in the industry machine, and sales positions seem to be the first target of cost-cutting efforts. The industry’s sales force in the United States dropped about 20 percent in 2010, down from a high of 105,000 professionals in

2005, according to S&P estimates. The current figure is expected to fall to 70,000 people by 2015, predicts ZS Associates, a sales-strategy consulting firm.

The cuts are a result of the bloated number of U.S. pharma sales reps, which tripled in the most recent decade, but the number of physicians to whom they could sell increased only slightly. In addi-tion, as the product pipeline continues to generate more specialty products and fewer mainstream drugs, Big Pharma is likely to shift its sales focus from pri-mary care physicians to the even smaller number of specialist doctors, such as oncologists, who write the prescriptions for specialty therapies. Thus, as specialty selling increases, reps who have science degrees are likely to be in high demand.

Those on the science side may also find that, although jobs are available, competition is fiercer. With applications exceeding demand, pharma firms favor candidates who have internship experience, advanced or specialized degrees, and proven communications and leadership skills. Although you don’t need a graduate degree to land a job, it will certainly give you greater flexibility in the job market.

Outsourcing functions such as manufacturing, clinical trial management, and even R&D will likely remain a trend in pharma. Although experts disagree as to how much outsourcing will grow, most of our insiders say Big Pharma companies will be forced to focus on their core competencies and outsource many other functions.

Interactive marketing and direct-to-patient educa-tion via the Internet and other technologies also will continue to be an industry trend. Consequently, those with digital marketing experience are likely to find more opportunities in Big Pharma.

the BOttOm line› Big Pharma iS still among the most profit-able industries in the U.S., and the job market is healthy. People with scientific backgrounds are in



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demand, particularly those who combine scientific training with managerial ability. Folks with BS or MS degrees in chemistry, molecular biology, bio-chemistry, and computer science can find absorb-ing careers. However, a PhD is generally required if you want to advance beyond the level of research associate. Nonscience undergrads can get a foot in the door through pharma sales and through intern-ships or co-op programs in business-oriented areas of the company. MBAs who forgo consulting and investment banking careers will find a more palat-able work/life balance along with good pay and some of the best benefits packages around. And MDs can find well-paying, engaging work that offers regular hours and is free of the tedious and tiresome details of managed care.

Above all, those who choose to work in this indus-try enjoy the satisfaction of knowing they are laboring to produce drugs that could make a radical difference in the lives of thousands—even millions—of people.

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On the Job

3Research Jobs ..............................24

Clinical Development and Medical Jobs .........................24

Manufacturing and Quality Assurance Jobs................26

Business Operations Jobs ............27

Sales Jobs..................................... 28

Real People Profiles .....................29



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reseArCh JOBs› reSearch PoSitionS Deal with the process of drug discovery and testing. The entry-level job title in most pharmaceutical companies is lab technician. The work can be somewhat tedious, but a lab tech position can be an excellent way into the industry.

If you have a BS or MS degree in biochemistry or a related discipline and have previous lab experience in school or in industry, you can generally find work as a research associate. Research associates do real science, conducting experiments and analyzing data under the close supervision of more senior scientists. Research associates often have a number after their title, such as research associate II, to indicate seniority level. Above the research associate is the research specialist (this title is sometimes called pharmaceuticals specialist, among other things), who generally has more auton-omy and creative input into his or her research than the associate does.

PhDs who have completed their postdocs typically enter as associate scientists (also known as research sci-entists). In rare instances, research specialists (without PhDs) are promoted to this level. Associate scientists have considerable autonomy over their own research, though they collaborate fairly closely with a super-visor. The step after associate scientist is scientist, a position that involves running the lab and planning and executing large-scale research projects. Above the scientist is the senior scientist, who oversees the work of several scientists but no longer works in the lab.

Scientists at all levels have the option of leaving the research track for the management track. Insiders say that for employees who don’t have PhDs and don’t intend to go back to school to get one, the manage-ment track holds many more opportunities for pro-motion than the non-PhD research track.

Salary ranges in this section and subsequent sec-tions were collected from Salary.com.

laB tEchnicianLab techs perform the routine maintenance tasks—cleaning and maintaining glassware, working with animal colonies, operating lab equipment, and so on—that are needed to keep labs functioning. Only a high school diploma is required, though many people with college degrees start here as well.

Salary range: $27,000 to $40,000

rEsEarch associatEA BS or MS in biochemistry or a related discipline and experience working in a lab are typically required to land this job. Associates conduct experiments under the guidance of PhD scientists. If you’re coming out of school with some lab experience but no PhD and you want to work in R&D, this is the job for you.


rEsEarch sciEntistAfter receiving a PhD and completing a postdoc, a sci-entist can get a job as a research scientist (sometimes the initial title is associate scientist), designing and con-ducting experiments and writing up results for publica-tion when appropriate.

Salary range: $65,000 to $110,000

CliniCAl DevelOPment AnD meDiCAl JOBs› a variety of medical and scientific specialists at pharma companies perform the numerous stud-ies required to take clinical compounds from the lab bench to the pharmacy shelf. Physicians with director or VP titles head up a pharma company’s therapeutic divisions and are responsible for ensur-ing drug safety and for keeping development pro-grams on track. Medical doctors and sometimes PhDs or PharmDs are responsible for drawing up

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a particular product’s overall clinical development plan, which is a strategic and tactical document that lays out the studies a company intends to perform before it applies for marketing approval. They also write or contribute to clinical trial pro-tocols, the instructions for an investigator describ-ing the objectives, design, and methodology of a clinical trial.

Once the plans are approved by regulatory authorities, clinical research associates (CRAs) take over the nitty-gritty of working with investiga-tors to conduct clinical trials. Depending on the research objectives, these trials may be confined to a small patient group at a single site, or they may involve thousands of patients at hundreds of sites worldwide. Typically registered nurses, CRAs get involved early on by helping to write study pro-tocols. As a clinical trial proceeds, they meet with investigators and their staff to ensure the study pro-tocol is being followed, and they also monitor the collection of patient data.

One thing to note: Many pharmaceutical com-panies outsource the conduct of some or all of their clinical trials to companies called contract research

organizations (CROs). If you work in clinical devel-opment within Big Pharma, interacting with CROs will be an important part of your job. Likewise, if you are an MD, PhD, MS, RN, or PharmD inter-ested in working in clinical development, you may find that CROs offer engaging and rewarding career opportunities similar to those offered within Big Pharma companies.

Clinical development offers other career options. Regulatory affairs experts (typically scientists at the master’s or PhD level, or with public health training) are the liaisons between industry and government. Most companies divide regulatory affairs into two divisions—one that deals with clinical development and another devoted to the composition and quality of the pharmaceutical products. Both divisions com-municate directly with government regulatory bodies and manage great volumes of paperwork.

clinical rEsEarch PhysicianCRPs are medical doctors who develop and implement plans for ushering experimental drugs through clinical trials. They work on cross-functional teams to maximize understanding of the pharmacological, regulatory, and clinical dimensions of the drugs being studied.

Salary range: $90,000 to $200,000. Company-sponsored speaking tours and other promotional events offer the enterprising physician numerous other ways to increase income.

clinical rEsEarch associatEThese are the folks who oversee clinical trials. They get involved in designing protocols, enlisting physician investigators, training clinic personnel, and evaluating data. The job can require travel, sometimes as much as 80 percent of the time. CRAs may also manage the services of an independent clinical research organiza-tion that runs the actual studies. A BS, BSN, or RN is required.




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rEgulatory affairs associatE/managErThe regulatory affairs career path suits job seekers who have a background in science but don’t want to do lab work. Regulatory affairs specialists complete the paperwork required by regulatory agencies world-wide and communicate directly with the agencies to ask questions and resolve issues. Depending on their level of industry experience, they may set regulatory strategy for a pharma company. A master’s degree is typically the minimum requirement for entry-level positions.


BiostatisticianStatisticians in clinical development prepare analy-sis plans for clinical studies, design tables and figures that display information clearly, interpret final study data, and write the statistical sections of clinical study reports. As with research scientists, statistician titles frequently include a I, II, or III to indicate education and level of experience. Entry-level positions require a master’s degree or PhD in statistics or a therapeutic specialty; higher levels require a PhD and several years of industry experience. Biostatisticians ultimately report to the head of a therapeutic division at most companies.

Salary range: $53,000 to $105,000

clinical Data managErClinical data managers supervise all aspects of clinical data. They specify how metrics will be collected and assist in standardizing data management procedures for internal operations and external reporting. This position typically requires at least a master’s degree in a relevant area plus several years of industry expe-rience.

Salary range: $82,000 to $119,000

mEDical sciEncE liaisonMSLs are field-based MDs, PhDs, or PharmDs with therapeutic area specialities. They interact with physicians and scientists in the health-care commu-nity—especially those doing prominent academic research—to maximize the acceptance and proper use of company products.

Salary range: $100,000 to $125,000 in base sal-ary, with up to 25 percent in bonus

mAnufACturing AnD QuAlity AssurAnCe JOBs› a variety of engineering types—biochemical, electrical, environmental, industrial, mechanical, and software engineers—as well as scientists can find work in Big Pharma in the manufacturing arena. Roles include designing the manufacturing processes for drugs, ensuring the integrity of finished products, creating product packaging, and planning specialized work spaces.

One area that gets a lot of attention in pharmaceu-ticals is called quality assurance and control—often shortened to QA/QC. In general, quality assurance ensures processes meet regulatory requirements, and quality control ensures the integrity of a finished product. More specifically, quality experts ensure medicines are manufactured and studied in compli-ance with federal standards. They examine production plants, monitor investigator sites, audit study data, and validate manufacturing processes and computer systems. If you have a BS or higher in a relevant disci-pline, you will find many opportunities here.

Like scientists on the pure research side, many employees in manufacturing and QA/QC encounter a dual ladder in Big Pharma. Engineers and scientists can get promoted doing technical work or, if they have the aptitude and inclination, they can shift over and

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become part of the management team that coordinates the work of the technical folks.

ProcEss EnginEErIn most cases, process engineers work on project teams with more senior engineers. Job responsibilities may include designing chemical or biological methods for mass-producing compounds, designing equipment, and designing and overseeing the construction of vari-ous elements of manufacturing plants from pilot to commercial scale.


Quality control analystQC analysts are responsible for the biological and chemical evaluation of products, materials, and facili-ties. They perform assays and establish and write spec-ifications and standard operating procedures. Most people who fill this role have a BS. This position is often a good fit for job seekers who have backgrounds in science and like to work in highly structured set-tings.


Quality assurancE sPEcialistQA specialists ensure that a company’s testing, report-ing, and manufacturing are in compliance with regu-latory requirements. They conduct site audits and review and analyze data and documentation. The entry-level position typically requires a BS.


Business OPerAtiOns JOBs› BuSineSS oPerationS encomPaSSeS the diverse array of commercially oriented positions within a pharma company, plus the standard cor-porate positions in areas such as finance, HR, and purchasing. If you have an MBA, this is where you’ll

find the most opportunities, especially if you have a bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, which can demonstrate you’ll move up the learning curve quickly in the complex industry of pharmaceuticals. However, if you have some industry experience or can prove you’re the right fit for the organization, a science-based degree isn’t required.

Within marketing, there are analyst positions galore, covering specifics such as market research, forecasting, and promotional response analysis. These are excellent entry-level positions for MBAs without industry experience. One step up, requiring some pharma experience, are assistant or associate product managers, who execute a brand’s strategy under the direction of a product manager. Product managers are responsible for the overall success of a brand. They work with a therapeutics-focused business director or other representative from upper management to set performance targets, and then design an appropriate marketing strategy. Although most product manager positions require an MBA, some companies may also require industry sales experience. Without it, you may need to complete a rotational program in the field, or you’ll find your-self competing unsuccessfully with internal sales reps who are vying to move up the corporate ladder.

markEt rEsEarch analystMarket research analysts collect and analyze data to support the marketing of medicines during every stage of the product life cycle. They design and conduct market research studies, analyze data, and communicate findings to management to sup-port business recommendations. MRAs usually work closely with product managers. This position requires a bachelor’s degree in business, social sci-ence, or a related field; an MBA is frequently pre-ferred. Some travel may be required to oversee field research.

Salary range: $46,000 to $75,000; more for MBAs with industry or sales experience



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associatE ProDuct managErAssociate product managers are primarily responsible for coordinating and implementing campaigns for specific drugs, audiences, or both. This involves a little strategy and a lot of execution—things such as devel-oping collateral pieces, working as a liaison to adver-tising agencies, and establishing a company presence at conventions. Many MBAs enter the industry this way; other people come to this position from sales.


ProDuct managErThis job requires managing a team of people and working to determine price, distribution, brand image, forecasting, and overall strategy for one or more drugs. On a micro level, the job can be claus-trophobic: Imagine spending 13 months of six-day weeks learning every aspect of a single drug, then having the company decide it would be best sim-ply to let the product die. But during the years you should be exposed to some of the most important, dynamic, and profitable drug markets in the indus-try, an experience that will give you a big-picture understanding of the industry and make you a greater asset to any company.

Salary range: $65,000 to $120,000

stratEgy DirEctorStrategy directors develop plans for maximizing the commercial potential of a particular product or thera-peutic area. They perform quantitative and qualitative analyses of disease and treatment trends and assess opportunities for expanding market share and com-petitive positioning. These individuals typically work closely with colleagues in marketing analytics, busi-ness development, and finance. An MBA or master’s-level degree in a health-care field and some industry experience are required.

Salary range: $98,000 to $214,000

BusinEss DEvEloPmEnt managErEmployees in business development evaluate new business opportunities that are aligned with a pharma company’s therapeutic product divisions and strategic goals. They examine in- and out-licensing opportunities, collaborative development deals, and joint ventures. The position requires an MBA, strong analytical skills, and several years of industry experience. At some companies, PhDs work in this area.

Salary range: $83,000 to $124,000

sAles JOBs› Big Pharma comPanieS maintain huge staffs of sales representatives who work to keep physi-cians, hospitals, HMOs, and other medical institu-tions abreast of and partial toward their company’s drugs. The act of selling to doctors is widely known as detailing, particularly if the salesperson uses company-produced visual aids.

Sales reps are categorized according to the particular customer base they serve: primary care physicians (PCPs), specialty physicians, hospital physicians, and managed care companies. Some sales reps visit pharmacies as well.

Field reps service territories typically defined by specialty and geography (such as all primary care doc-tors in Omaha) and operate under a prescribed call cycle that determines how often they visit doctors in their territory. Call cycles range between two weeks and four months for most drugs, but can sometimes be as frequent as every few days during the introduc-tion of hot new products or for physicians who are high-volume prescribers.

District managers usually are in charge of 10 to 14 field reps, hiring, training, and supervising them; regional managers oversee the district managers. Some sales positions require extensive travel; oth-ers don’t. Virtually all positions come with generous

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perks such as a company car, computer, and expense account, plus attractive bonuses based on sales. A bachelor’s degree in the sciences will help, and some type of previous sales experience is typically required. Many companies view sales as the natural right of entry into marketing positions in the corpo-rate office.

average base salary: $68,600 plus generous incen-tives; specialty and hospital reps earn higher on average than PCP reps

reAl PeOPle PrOfiles› following are ProfileS of actual people working in the biotech and pharmaceuticals industry.

rEsEarch associatE iiiyears in business: 5age: 29education: BS in biologySize of company: 5,000 employeeshours per week: 45. The hours are pretty cushy. Once in a while I stay late or stop in on the weekend, but there are plenty of people who don’t.annual salary/bonus: $56,000 plus options and benefits

what do you do?I evaluate the ability of novel vaccines to improve the immune system.

how did you get your job?Total, total networking. After I got out of school, I worked in an academic lab for a few years. When I decided I wanted to leave that job, my boss put me in touch with someone he knew here, and the guy gave me a job.

what are your career aspirations?Within five years I’d like to be in grad school. I’m actually more interested in the policy side than the science side, so I’ll probably end up studying public health or policy.

what kind of person does really well at this job?A conscientious person—someone who pays attention to detail and questions why a thing is done a certain way rather than assuming things are always fine the way they are.

what do you really like about your job?My work has a purpose: the development of new medi-cines that will help people lead healthier lives. I really believe in what I do.

what do you dislike?Corporate greed and politics often seem to override the philanthropic nature of my company’s work.

what is the biggest misconception about this job?That it’s totally cutting-edge or really complicated. In five minutes, I can explain what I do to anyone.

how can someone get a job like yours?Along with a college degree, you usually need some lab experience to get a job as a research associate. You can get this by working in a lab while you’re in college. If you don’t, you can get good experience by working as a medical technician in a hospital lab or a similar health-care setting.



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Describe a typical day.I usually spend about three days a week in the lab and two days a week in the office. Here’s a lab day:

9:00 a.m. Come in and put on gloves, coat, gog-gles. Set up samples and start them run-ning on a big machine.

1:00 p.m. Head down to the cafeteria for lunch.

2:00 p.m. Settle in to read the data off the machine that’s running my experiment.

6:00 p.m. Go home.

Here’s an office day:

9:00 a.m. The project this morning is to analyze the data I collected yesterday. I read my lab notes to see what I was looking for and compare this with the data. The results are somewhat promising, and I create a few tables and graphs to repre-sent the data.

12:00 p.m. Lunch at the cafeteria.

1:00 p.m. Write up a schedule for future experiments.

2:30 p.m. Take care of my inventory. Figure out what animals and supplies I’ll need in the near future and place the necessary orders.

5:00 p.m. Go home.

rEsEarch EnginEEryears in business: 2age: 25education: BS, MS in mechanical engineeringSize of company: 5,000 employeeshours per week: 50. Weekend work is rare.annual salary/bonus: $62,000 plus a performance bonus of around 10 percent

what do you do?I design, build, and maintain robots and automated machinery for a midsized pharmaceutical company.

how did you get your job?When I was finishing school, I decided that I wanted to get a job in pharma. One day I was chatting with my roommate’s friend about my job search, and the guy told me that his cousin was a scientist at a pharma com-pany. I got in touch with him and talked to him about the company. He forwarded my resume to HR and I ended up getting a position as a mechanical engineer.

what are your career aspirations?I’m pretty happy here, but I think in a few years I’d like to try working in another industry to see what other challenges are out there.

what kind of person does really well at this job?Someone who is a creative, persistent problem solver. It’s easy enough to design and build a machine. The hard part comes when you’ve put it all together and it doesn’t work. That’s when you need to hang in there, think creatively, and come up with new ideas.

what do you really like about your job?It’s great to come up with a design and see it through to the creation of a working machine.

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what do you dislike?The grunt work. Machine maintenance—fixing broken valves, for instance—is something that I have to do a fair bit of, and it’s really pretty boring.

what is the biggest misconception about this job?I don’t know; I think what I do is pretty straightforward.

how can someone get a job like yours?Network—go to conferences, talk to people you know who work in the industry. A science background is also a big plus.

Describe a typical day.9:00 a.m. Come in, check email, voice mail. A few

new emails, no voicemail, no emergencies.

9:05 a.m. Walk down the hall to check on the synthesizers. These machines have been a big project of mine the whole time I’ve been here—I designed and built them from the ground up. Their pur-pose is to automate a key task that chemists formerly had to do manu-ally. This morning I am making a few modifications—drilling holes, mount-ing hardware—that I hope will make the machines more reliable.

9:45 a.m. Explain the changes I’ve made to the chemists who work with the machines.

10:00 a.m. Back in my office. Unpack a box of parts that came in this morning. Make sure that my supplier sent me what I ordered. (He did.)

10:15 a.m. Research a pump I need to buy. Look on the Internet, call several vendors. Figure

out exactly what I need; fill out paper-work for the order.

12:00 p.m. Go out to lunch at a nearby deli with a few biologists.

1:00 p.m. Work on putting together some new machines I’m building.

4:00 p.m. Meet with another engineer and the scientist who is setting up a new lab to discuss the machines he’s going to need.

5:00 p.m. The contractor who is building the elec-tronics for my synthesizers comes in to do some testing. We discuss his timelines so that I can stay on top of any mechanical or electronic interface issues that might arise.

6:00 p.m. Go home.



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sPEcialty salEs rEPyears in business: 5 months age: 25education: BS in chemistrySize of company: 20,000 peoplehours per week: 40 annual salary/bonus: $45,000 plus $12,000 bonus and a company car

what do you do?I visit doctors to educate them about the drugs my company sells. My goal is for them to prescribe my company’s drugs.

how did you get your job?I was working in research and decided that it wasn’t where I wanted to go with my career, so I started look-ing for a job in sales. I spent about five months look-ing—answering ads in the paper, going through a recruiter, sending out unsolicited resumes, network-ing through friends. It took me a while to hone my interviewing skills. Then all of a sudden everything just clicked, and I wound up getting a bunch of offers in a single week.

what are your career aspirations?I don’t have it all mapped out, but I definitely see sales as a stepping-stone to a management role, and it seems like there’s a lot of possibility in my company.

what kind of person does really well at this job?Someone who can deal confidently with the techni-cal aspects of the job while being personable. You have to be able to interact with a wide range of personality types, from nice to nasty, and you have to be confident in your knowledge when you’re dealing with doctors who don’t want to see you or who think you don’t know what you’re talking about.

what do you really like about your job?I like interacting with people all the time, and I love the freedom of my job. It’s like owning my own busi-ness, and I know that if I work hard, I’ll do well. I also like that what I do has a tangible, positive impact on my company’s bottom line.

what do you dislike?The honeymoon’s still not over for me with this job, so I still like pretty much everything. But it seems like the lack of structure and supervision could definitely be a pitfall down the road.

what is the biggest misconception about this job?That anyone can do it well. It is true that almost any-one can get by for a while, but in order to succeed, you really need to be serious about what you’re doing. You need to be focused and determined, to stay on top of things at all times.

how can someone get a job like yours?Sales experience is probably the most helpful thing. I didn’t have sales experience, but I had a background in science, which was a plus, and I spent several months figuring out how to sell myself in an interview. Try to network your way into an interview. Look in the paper. If there aren’t any ads for pharmaceutical sales reps, look again next week. You can also get a book called the PDR, the Physicians’ Desk Reference. It lists all the phar-maceutical companies in the country. I got this book and sent resumes out to about 90 companies, which got me about 20 interviews. In general, be confident and be patient.

Describe a typical day.8:00 a.m. Get up, check email. Two new mes-

sages—one’s from my boss, to give me the weekly market share report; the other’s from another sales rep to let me know that there’s a particular study he’s

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been pointing out to doctors that has been convincing them to prescribe one of our drugs. It’s a good tip.

8:10 a.m. Plan out my day. There’s a set group of doctors who are my responsibility, and I’m on a two-week call cycle, which means I’m supposed to visit each one every two weeks. I sit down and look at who I’ll be visiting that day, review my notes from my last visits, and figure out what my strategy will be with each doctor.

8:45 a.m. Hit the road.

9:00 a.m. Visit my first doctor of the day. Most doctors’ offices are open from 9:00 a.m. to noon and again from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. I try to hit five offices each morn-ing. I don’t always get in to see the doc-tors (which means I end up talking to the receptionist), but I’m getting better at it. A big part of the trick is just figur-ing out when to show up. I get in to see this guy, and do pretty well—I’m able to address some of the issues he mentioned during my last visit, and he seems mildly impressed.

9:30 a.m. Back on the streets. I manage to make it to four more doctors’ offices by midday, though I only get in to see two of them.

12:00 p.m. Check email, grab lunch, read a few new studies that have come out on the drugs I sell.

2:00 p.m. Back to the doctors. Of the five I’m visit-ing this afternoon, three are in the same

building, which makes things pretty easy. I get in to see four of the five docs, which is nice, and I’m done with my day by 4:00 p.m., which is really nice.

4:05 p.m. Head home.



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TherapeuTic SpecialiSTYears in business: 3Age: 30Education: BS in nutrition; working towards RD (registered dietician) and MBASize of company: 15,000 employeesHours per week: More than 40, but hard to say because I work at homeAnnual salary/bonus: $60,000 base plus $50,000 bonus; eligible for up to $85,000 bonus

What do you do?Consultative selling for a pharmaceutical product. I explain the product, identify patients, discuss how to use the product with a particular patient.

how did you get your job?I was interested in pharmaceutical sales, but a head-hunter said there was no way they’d hire me without sales experience. I went to a sales and marketing job fair and there were three pharma companies present. I was patient (there were a lot of people waiting to talk with them) and aggressive, and I closed them. Out of three interviews, I got three offers. After a year and a half of doing really well at this company, I was able to move into a specialist position here.

What are your career aspirations?My five-year plan is to be in the home office as a product manager. Eventually, I’d like to be a regional director.

What kind of person does really well at this job?Someone who’s outgoing and who reads people well. You have to know the signs: when it’s time to go, when to step into the office, when to be stronger, and when to back off. You need to be motivated because you’re working out of your home. You need to be able to take rejection; it’s a bummer.

What do you really like about your job?The flexibility. The home office. Being out in the field. Some people think it’s lonely, but I’ve developed such good relationships in the therapeutic community that I’m not lonely. The benefits are great. They give you a car and pay for all your gas.

What do you dislike?The home office; it’s hard to stop sometimes. The rejec-tion and lack of respect for the sales profession.

What is the biggest misconception about this job?People think pharma sales is easy, that you’re always having lunch. It’s not easy. My first year was very diffi-cult, a really tough year. There’s a lot of knowledge you need to have for this job. It takes a certain type of per-son to do it well.

how can someone get a job like yours?Get to know people in the industry. Talk to people who have this job. General pharma sales positions are usu-ally available. There’s high turnover. Once you’re in, you’re in.

Describe a typical day. 7:00 a.m. I work out of my home, so I am at

my desk by 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. every day checking email. I do a lot of busi-ness through email—asking for appoint-ments, answering questions. Then I might work on creating proposals until 8:30.

9:00 a.m. Out of the house.

10:00 a.m. Might have two appointments sched-uled for the morning, and I might drop into one office. I prefer to work by appointment. I make appointments directly with the doctor rather than

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office staff because they make it difficult. They don’t differentiate between a spe-cialist and a general pharma rep.

12:00 p.m. Take a physician to lunch. Sometimes I bring lunch to their office, but I prefer to go out.

1:00 p.m. Two more appointments in the after-noon. Usually have only 5 to 10 minutes to discuss my product, but sometimes appointments last 45 minutes depend-ing on the doctor’s interest.

3:00 p.m. Drop into an office and the physi-cian’s on vacation, so I talk with the PharmD (doctor of pharmacy). I always sell directly to the doctor, but I talk to the other members of the team. Both the PharmD and the nurse have a say. The nurse is around the patient a lot more than the doctor and reports on how the patient tolerates the drug, and the PharmD coordinates the meds and checks on how meds are working together. I also have a testing product so I talk to lab people about that.

4:00 p.m. Home again to check email.

7:00 p.m. Take a physician out to dinner.

10:00 p.m. Home for the evening.

clinical rEsEarch associatEyears in business: 1½ in industry after 3½ as a study coordinator in a clinicage: 39education: BS in chemistrySize of company: 3,000 employeeshours per week: 45 to 50annual salary: $59,000

what do you do? I manage all of the company’s expanded access pro-grams in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia for one particular compound currently in clinical trials. Expanded access is when the safety and efficacy of a drug has been sufficiently established and we’re close to filing an NDA (new drug application) with the FDA, and we expand participation of a trial to include compassionate use by a sick population. It’s a goodwill gesture and also allows us to obtain data on a larger population.

how did you get your job?Through a colleague who went to work for the com-pany. Networking is everything.

what are your career aspirations?I’m in line for a promotion to senior CRA. The next step is program manager; then comes associate director, which is probably as high as I can go because I’m not a clinician. What I really want to do when I grow up is be a therapist.

what kind of person does really well at this job?Someone who communicates well both verbally and in writing. You have to be very organized and detail-oriented. There’s so much paper; you’re buried very quickly if you don’t keep on top of it. Someone who has a very good memory. If you can keep a lot of things in your head and on the tip of your tongue, you’ll do well.



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what do you really like about your job? That I work on the particular disease that I do. Also, I really like the people I work with. They’re very open to questions. There are great mentors here. It’s not a formal program; people are just very willing to help and teach, and my experience at the clinical site level is appreciated and respected.

what do you dislike? The industry is pretty meeting-crazy. It makes it hard to get your job done. There are too many CCs on emails, and it makes for information overload. People need to have a better sense of what others really need to know. It’s a huge time waster when there’s never enough time to begin with.

what is the biggest misconception about this job? People think the work is glamorous because you get to travel a lot to monitor sites. It depends on the way the company works. We hire clinical data organizations to monitor the sites, so we don’t travel as much as people at other places. At other companies, CRAs might travel 75 to 80 percent of the time. It’s important to know what the travel expectation is. I do travel for investigator meet-ings and to visit sites when problems arise.

how can someone get a job like yours?I knew a lot about the disease, not because I had a science background, but because of my clinical site experience. I would strongly suggest that you check with your college alumni asso-ciation and set up informational interviews with people who do this work. There are now certificate programs for CRAs you can enroll in. Also, check the Web for local industry groups and consortia that hold regular meetings and presentations that anyone can attend. There are also industry conferences that you have to register and pay for, like the Drug Information

Association and ICAAC (Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy), which is part of the American Society for Microbiology.

Describe a typical day. 9:00 a.m. Check and return email and voice mail.

This can take one to two hours. I’m dealing with time differences, so I’m responding to a backlog of things that Europe has sent to me. Mondays are the worst, and today it took all morning.

12:00 p.m. We have a gourmet cafe on site, so I go there for a half-hour lunch. Then I take a walk around our lake.

1:00 p.m. Meet with my boss about a request I received from one of our investigators about an article he wants to write for a publication about his experiences with our clinical trial. The guidelines for this process are laid out in his contract, but some clinical parts of the request were unclear.

2:00 p.m. Attend the weekly group meeting where we share study updates and information.

3:00 p.m. Meet with my boss about a trial partici-pant whose lab values have fallen out of range. When this happens, we might reduce the dosage or discontinue use. I’m not a clinician, so when it’s really close, my boss, who’s a PharmD, makes the call.

4:00 p.m. Attempt to meet with my other boss, but she’s in a meeting that ran over so it doesn’t happen. Then I check and return email and voicemail until 6:00 p.m.

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manufacturing managEryears in business: 15age: 39education: MS in biochemistrySize of company: 1,500 employeeshours per week: 50annual salary: $100,000

what do you do?I’m responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of one specific part of a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.

how did you get your job?It was listed on the company’s website. I sent in my resume, but it also helped that I had friends who worked for the company.

what are your career aspirations? I would like to manage the operation of an entire plant. That’s the logical next step for this career path. Another option would be to switch to another depart-ment. Regulatory affairs is very interesting to me.

what kind of person does really well at this job?People with good attention to detail. That orientation is key because it’s a highly regulated industry. You also need good communication skills. There’s a lot of writ-ten documentation. A science background is impor-tant but a mechanical inclination is just as important.

what do you really like about your job?I get to work with people in different specialties. A lot of different groups interact with manufacturing. You can learn a lot about the organization.

what do you dislike?Having to work with people who aren’t team players. Teamwork is mandatory, and there are people who don’t appreciate that.

what is the biggest misconception about this job?A lot of people think it’s like manufacturing cars. This isn’t like heavy industrial manufacturing. This is sci-ence-related manufacturing. It’s not mindless and it’s not highly automated. Very skilled labor is required.

how can someone get a job like yours?Schools don’t teach pharmaceutical manufacturing skills, so it’s unreasonable for us to expect an entry-level worker to have them. We train people from scratch. We’re looking for good communicators with mechani-cal aptitude and willingness to learn. The expectation is you’ll work here for two to four years, then move on.

Describe a typical day. 7:00 a.m. The first thing I do is check to see what

happened the night before. We’re a 24-hour operation and I need to know where we are in production. Then I check email and my calendar.

8:00 a.m. We have a daily startup meeting to plan the day’s activity.

9:00 a.m. Meet with the quality assurance group to investigate incidents.

10:00 a.m. Meet with one of the several supervisors who report to me.

11:00 a.m. Work on my own documents. We pro-duce more paper than product.

12:00 p.M Review batch records.

4:00 p.m. Meet with a plant engineer to review equip-ment specifications and construction sched-ule for a long-term facility expansion project.

5:00 p.m. Go home.



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DirEctor of oPErations, Planning, anD analysisyears in business: 6, all with the same companyage: 37education: MBASize of company: well over 25,000 peoplehours per week: I’m pretty much an 8-to-6 guy and typically work a 50-hour week.annual salary/bonus: $180,000 including bonus, plus options

what do you do? I spend about 50 percent of my time supervising a team of MBA analysts. My team is responsible for profit-ability forecasting, competitive analysis, analysis of large capital projects, mergers and acquisitions, and the financial aspects of the licensing and development projects. The team’s findings are reported directly to senior management. The other 50 percent of my time is divided between high-level strategic planning proj-ects and the preparation and delivery of presentations to senior management.

how did you get your job?I worked as a summer associate here between my first and second years of business school. When I left that summer, the company made me an offer to return the following year as an analyst. I took them up on their offer, then worked my way up to senior analyst, and later to a position in business development, which in turn led into my current position.

what are your career aspirations?I could see my career going in a number of directions: I could happily keep this job for several years to come. I could become a VP of a business unit or of corporate strategic planning. I could end up taking on a CFO role at one of my company’s subsidiaries, or at an indepen-dent biotech company that’s transforming itself from a lab-coat-and-petri-dish shop into a full-fledged, reve-nue-driven company.

what kind of person does really well at this job?When people think of finance, they think of dull, repet-itive jobs. And there are in fact lots of jobs like that. But there are also interesting, dynamic jobs. In order to work at interesting jobs, you need to be creative. You need to see the bigger picture, come up with fresh ideas, and throw yourself into the breach by creating projects and by taking on whatever comes your way. At the same time, you need to pay attention to the details, to triple-check your data. No matter how beautiful or brilliant your presentation is, if there are errors in your data, they’re all that people will remember.

what do you really like about your job?It is a high-stakes game that results in meaningful products. And the confluence of science and capital is incredibly interesting.

what do you dislike?Corporate politics. I hate to see smart people become totally preoccupied with jostling for position. Also, I think there is too much functional segregation. Smart people can succeed anywhere and should get to rotate around more in the company. Too often people get pigeonholed and end up overinvested in one particular segment of the company.

what is the biggest misconception about your job?That my team is made up of a bunch of police officers who exist solely to bust people’s chops on behalf of senior management. In fact, we often work as a launch-ing pad for new ideas and work collaboratively with people from all over the company.

how can someone get a job like yours?Be a little bit unusual. Don’t be afraid to jump into dis-cussions, offer your own ideas, question other people’s assumptions. Of course it takes some subtlety and tact, but this way you distinguish yourself from the mass of

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bodies, and you’ll be able to take on interesting, innova-tive, valuable projects. It’s also key to work for someone who appreciates you. And you in turn can help this pro-cess along by realizing that, particularly when you first come into the company, it’s to your advantage to make your boss look good. Other key things to think about are your company’s current needs and growth potential. Obviously, a company poised for dramatic growth will offer significantly more interesting opportunities than a company with a more stagnant outlook.

Describe a typical day. 8:00 a.m. Every morning from 8:00 to 8:30 my

door is open to anyone who wants to drop by for an informal chat. This morn-ing one of the MBAs on my analyst team comes by and we talk over coffee about possibilities for her next job with the company.

8:30 a.m. Make the rounds. I like to manage by walking around, and I find the morning to be a good time to check in with each member of my team, see how projects are going, and help people troubleshoot any problems that are cropping up. Everyone seems to be on track this morning.

10:00 a.m. Conference call with some folks on our European team. We’re looking at form-ing an R&D alliance with a European biotech shop, and my group is respon-sible for performing the due diligence and for putting together the negotiating briefing documents.

11:30 a.m. Go down to the cafeteria for an early lunch with several folks from the ana-lyst team.

12:30 p.m. Desk time: return emails, voicemail.

1:00 p.m. Meet with three analysts and four people from central research to discuss the status of our research on a company that is a potential acquisition target. I’m sched-uled to brief the CEO on the issue in three weeks and need to make sure that everyone’s work is on track.

3:00 p.m. Work on a presentation that I’m going to deliver to the CFO the day after tomor-row.

5:00 p.m. Make the rounds again. See if people are hitting their milestones. Make plans for tomorrow.

6:00 p.m. Go home.



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sEnior vicE PrEsiDEnt of clinical rEsEarchyears in business: 15age: 47education: MD; currently completing an executive MBAcertification: board-certified in internal medicine, anesthesiology, and pulmonary medicineSize of company: 500 employeeshours per week: 70; weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., additional weekend hoursannual salary: $240,000 plus stock options

what do you do?I manage all clinical trial research, regulatory filings, and quality assurance for manufacturing and clinical trials. I also participate in R&D meetings for com-pounds being considered for clinical trials. I am a mem-ber of the senior management team.

how did you get your job?I worked at a medical school and learned through my network of personal contacts that there were openings at this company. When I first came on, I worked part time in clinical development and part time in business development. I later moved over to full-time clinical development work, then up into senior management.

what are your career aspirations?I try to wake up and do something interesting each day, and see where that takes me. What I’m doing now is a lot of fun, and I’d be happy to keep doing it for a while.

what kind of person does really well at this job?A bright, self-motivated, independent person with a strong desire to succeed and an ability to learn quickly.

what do you really like about your job?It’s exciting, interesting, challenging, and worthwhile.

what do you dislike?No matter how hard you work, there’s always a high chance of failure.

what is the biggest misconception about this job?People are naive about how incredibly difficult it is to bring a drug to market.

how can someone get a job like yours?There are plenty of openings for MDs in industry; the biggest step is usually deciding to give up clini-cal practice. For people who have made this decision, networking is usually the most effective means of landing a job.

Describe a typical day. 7:00 a.m. Come in. Work on revising standard

operating procedures for clinical devel-opment protocols.

9:00 a.m. Develop presentation of new standard operating procedures for senior manage-ment meeting.

10:00 a.m. Senior management meeting.

12:00 p.m. Meet with members of the R&D team to discuss a compound moving out of R&D into clinical development.

1:30 p.m. Eat lunch at my desk; work on develop-ing standard operating procedures for data management.

2:00 p.m. Meet with CEO to discuss a partnership we’re developing with another company to jointly conduct preclinical research on a compound.

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3:00 p.m. Conference call with MDs from two universities running clinical trials on one of my company’s compounds.

4:00 p.m. Conference call with manufacturing partner.

5:00 p.m. Study quality assurance practices in manufacturing to prepare for tomor-row’s meetings.

8:00 p.m. Go home.

The Workplace

4Company Culture ...................... 44

Diversity .....................................44

Lifestyle ......................................44

Compensation .............................45

Training and Continuing Education ................45

The Inside Scoop .........................45



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COmPAny Culture› Big Pharma comPanieS are card-holding members of Corporate America. People are “more col-legial than in banking or consulting,” says an insider, but still generally formal and businesslike. These are process-oriented firms—there’s a right way and a wrong way to do most things, and your job is to do things the right way. There is also a clearly delineated hierarchy. As another insider says, “Everything runs like clockwork, and you know what’s expected.”

Because so much development and commercializa-tion relies on cross-functional teams, meetings are fre-quent—in person and via phone, video, and the Web. In product team meetings, you may experience first-hand the healthy but often frustrating power struggle between the scientists/clinicians developing a drug and the people on the commercial side who hope to sell it.

Big Pharma culture tends to be rather brainy, a func-tion of the fact that it is driven by a highly intellectual research process. In addition, most people in this indus-try really believe in what their company does and genu-inely feel they are helping to make the world better.

Diversity› aS corPorate america goes, this industry is pretty good. An unusually high number of foreign-born employees—particularly on the science side—gives the industry a cosmopolitan flavor. Nevertheless, the industry is still mostly run by white males, and domestic partner benefits are uncommon.

Big Pharma is well represented on Working Mother

magazine’s widely respected list of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers,” mainly because of excellent family-oriented benefits. A number of com-panies, including Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer, are stalwarts on the list.

lifestyle› miDSize anD large companies offer the accou-trements of top-company corporate life: a comfortable salary, full benefits, and a well-funded work environ-ment that often provides things such as fancy subsi-dized cafeterias and plush in-house gyms. Indeed, most established companies in pharma are known for offer-ing top-flight benefits—everything from onsite day care and generous family leave to tuition reimbursement and excellent professional-development programs.

hoursMost insiders report tolerable work schedules that allow them to have a personal life. Between 40 and 50 hours a week is the norm in the larger companies, and most people tend to choose traditional hours even when the company is receptive to flextime arrangements. In clinical development and regulatory affairs, the days and nights will be long and hard as the company gears up for a major regulatory filing such as an NDA. And marketing and finance employees may put in extra time around corporate planning season. On average, though, your workday will have you home in time for happy hour or dinner with the family. An insider from a large pharma company says, “This place is dead by 6:00 every evening.”

travElTravel varies widely in the industry. Sales reps with large territories are on the road every day. CRAs running clinical trials can travel as much as 80 percent of the time. Marketing analysts travel a good deal to maintain a company presence at industry meetings and to con-

InsIder sCOOP“I’m proud that I work on something that is directly connected to the betterment of human health. It’s self-fulfilling, provides constant motivation, and is the reason I jump out of bed every morning.”

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duct focus groups. Most scientists travel less, but senior-level scientists may attend conferences and meet with far-flung colleagues.

COmPensAtiOn› Big Pharma comPanieS typically pay cash bonuses, match 401(k) contributions, and offer stock purchase plans. Individual performance bonuses are common at all levels. Some companies also have team-based performance bonuses. Signing bonuses and relo-cation funds can enter the picture depending on the company and the candidate. Though hefty packages are more standard with Big Pharma than with smaller firms, any company located in high cost-of-living zones will tend to be more open to creative relocation negotiations, particularly for experienced individuals.

Three weeks of vacation per year is typical and four weeks is not uncommon after a few years. And unlike companies in some other industries, pharmaceutical com-panies encourage their employees to actually take their vacation days—as long as they don’t schedule them during an FDA plant inspection or some other critical activity.

trAining AnD COntinuing eDuCAtiOn› Pharma comPanieS tenD to invest heartily in developing their employees. The sales arena is the most extreme. Rookie reps don’t set foot into a doctor’s office without weeks of memorizing scientific information, taking Web tutorials, and role playing. Even experi-enced reps undergo yearly or more frequent training to keep their scientific knowledge up to date and their sales skills fresh.

Although employees in the corporate office and research labs don’t receive quite as much coddling, they typically don’t suffer from a lack of developmental opportunities. Departmental budgets tend to contain enough funds for one or several job-related seminars or conferences a year for many workers—particularly scientists, clinicians, and those who have been iden-tified as having high potential within the company. HR-administered programs on topics such as leader-ship, conflict resolution, and cross-cultural communi-cation are commonplace.

In the development, manufacturing, quality, dis-tribution, and even sales realms, ensuring employees maintain a thorough knowledge of regulatory standards is a must. To that end, pharma firms provide refresher courses and continuing education on a regular basis.

the insiDe sCOOPwhat EmPloyEEs rEally likEchanging lives Most people in this industry believe deeply in what their company does. As one MBA says, “When you’re in the pharmaceutical industry, yeah, you’re there to make money, but there’s also the underlying fact that you’re doing something that is going to make a huge difference in thousands of people’s lives.”



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the good life Although there’s some debate as to whether industry sci-entists work fewer hours than their academic colleagues, they most certainly earn more. And they don’t have to hustle for money. “It’s nice not always having to worry about funding,” says one insider. Also, MBAs can hit six figures not long after coming out of school without suffering through the travel and long hours imposed on classmates who opt for consulting or banking.

that guy’s Pretty sharp “A lot of brilliant people are attracted to this industry,” says one recruiter. And while many of these industrial-strength geniuses are attracted by the research oppor-tunities, it’s often the presence of fellow thinkers they find most enjoyable. “It is definitely a more intellectual industry than most, which is great,” says one insider.

watch out!Business first In the final analysis, the companies that comprise this industry are just that: companies. Their chief aim is to maximize profits, not save lives, and this goal is reflected in the decisions they make. If you end up working on the world’s umpteenth drug for high blood pressure instead of the world’s first drug to treat some incurable disease, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

keep an org chart handy! If you like having the rules spelled out and having an obvious career ladder, sign on with Big Pharma. But if you’re an entrepreneur by nature, or if you need a loosely structured workplace to thrive, then Big Pharma might not be the best career choice.

cost cuts “There’s always the risk of layoff,” says an insider. Cost-driven employee cuts are always a possibility, especially as companies look for new ways to counteract ris-ing R&D expenses. Job security is no longer assured, particularly if you’re in sales or an area that is easily outsourced, such as manufacturing or clinical trial man-agement. While your experiences will likely serve you well in finding a new job in the industry, no one enjoys being laid off.

the ms shuffle “A few people without PhDs make it to scientist, but the vast majority [with a BS or MS degree] hit a ceil-ing at the research specialist level, between five and ten years into their career,” says one veteran of industry labs. This is fine for many people—it’s a comfortable, reasonably well-paid job that allows for a healthy work/life balance. But if you have grand career ambitions and want to stay in science—and don’t have a PhD—you may find more frustration than fulfillment here.

keep me in the loop Because work is done in teams, there are a lot of meet-ings. One recruiter’s advice to scientists, “You won’t just be working at the bench,” might be considered an understatement for the kind of interaction required. A conspicuous downside of the attempt to keep team members informed is a tendency to err on the generous side when copying people on memos. “I get 200 emails a day, the majority of which I don’t need to see,” says one insider. While the same could be said about many industries, the situation is aggravated by the tremen-dous volume of documentation required in the highly regulated climate of pharma.

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Big Pharma ................................ 50

The Companies

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Big PhArmA› Big Pharma comPanieS come in two styles: diversified and nondiversified. Diversified companies, which include companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Abbott Laboratories, maintain other health-care businesses, such as consumer health product divisions and medical device companies. Those that are nondi-versified—Eli Lilly and Merck, for example—focus solely on the development and sale of drugs. During

the past few years, some diversified companies have chosen to divest their non-pharma product lines in favor of the leaner and more profitable drug business. Novartis, for example, rid itself of all its non-health-care businesses in 2007, when it sold its medical nutrition line for $2.5 billion and its Gerber baby products division for $5.5 billion to Nestlé.

Top 20 Big Pharma Companies by 2010 Global Revenue

ComPany(global headquarters) u.s. headquarters emPloyees

WorldWide2010 global revenue ($m)

Pfizer (new york) new york 110,600 67.81

Johnson & Johnson (new brunswick, nJ) new brunswick, nJ 114,000 61.59

roche (basel, switzerland) nutley, nJ 80,653 52.26

novartis (basel, switzerland) east hanover, nJ 119,418 51.56

merck (Whitehouse station, nJ) Whitehouse station, nJ 94,000 45.99

glaxosmithKline (london) Philadelphia 36,500 43.92

abbott laboratories (abbott Park, il) abbott Park, il 90,000 35.17

astraZeneca (london) Wilmington, de 61,000 33.27

eli lilly & Co. (indianapolis) indianapolis 38,350 23.08

bristol-myers squibb (new york) new york 27,000 19.48

takeda (osaka, Japan) deerfield, il 18,498* 17.13

teva (Petah tikva, israel) north Wales, Pa 39,660 16.12

baxter (deerfield, il) deerfield, il 48,000 12.84

bayer schering (berlin) Pittsburgh 36,000t 15.05**

merck Kgaa (darmstadt, germany) hawthorne, ny 40,562 12.31

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daiichi sankyo (tokyo) Parsippany, nJ 30,488 11.67*

astellas (tokyo) deerfield, il 16,279* 11.51

novo nordisk (bagsvaerd, denmark) Princeton, nJ 30,483 10.82

solvay (brussels) marietta, ga 16,785 9.42

eisai (tokyo) allendale, nJ 11,560* 9.28

*2011 figure, **2009 figure

Sources: Hoovers, Wetfeet analysis, Contract Pharma. List includes public companies with U.S. operations only.

The patent expiration of brand-name drugs (set to peak in 2012) has increased sales volume for manufacturers of generic drugs, as has the unquali-fied support of governments and payers alike who, frustrated by the high costs of health care, have called for ever more generics to enter the market. Concerned by this encroachment into its market share, Big Pharma has begun to pay more atten-

tion to the sector by putting more effort behind branded generics and establishing partnerships with some makers of generics. In some cases, Big Pharma companies are building generics units of their own; Greenstone is, for instance, a subsidiary of heavy-hitting Pfizer, and Hospira is a spin-off of Abbott Laboratories. The list below offers a look at the best performing companies in this hot sector.

Top 10 Generic Drug Companies by Market Share

ComPany name loCation 2010 annual sales ($m) marKet share (%)

teva Petah tikva, israel 6.956 21.8

mylan Pittsburgh 3.620 11.3

sandoz holzkirchen, germany 2.494 7.8

Watson Pharma Corona, Ca, and morristown, nJ 2.000 6.3

greenstone Peapack, nJ 1.721 5.4

Par Pharma Woodcliff lake, nJ 1.319 4.1

hospira lake Forest, il 1.061 3.3

apotex toronto 879 2.8



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mallinckrodt hazelwood, mo 860 2.7

dr. reddy's hyderabad, india 834 2.6

Sources: FiercePharma, WetFeet analysis

In 1999, Amgen ruled the list of biopharma giants, those entities that focus on biopharmaceutical products. Amgen’s revenue at the time was $3.2 billion. Today, the company’s sales exceed $15 billion, yet it cedes the top spot to Roche, which posted sales at nearly $36 billion in 2010. The change in fortune for Amgen

illustrates the tremendous growth potential for bio-pharma companies, though the sector’s performance should be monitored carefully. Revenues for its top companies grew just 3 percent in 2010, compared to 4 percent, 14 percent, and 16 percent in 2009, 2008, and 2007, respectively.

Top 10 Biopharma Companies by 2010 Global Sales

ComPany (global headquarters) u.s. headquarters emPloyees

WorldWide 2010 sales ($b)

roche (basel, switzerland) nutley, nJ 80,653 35,629

amgen (thousand oaks, Ca) thousand oaks, Ca 17,400 15,053

novo nordisk (bagsvaerd, denmark) Princeton, nJ 30,483 10,835

merck serono (geneva, switzerland) na 640 7,641

baxter bioscience (neuchâtel, switzerland) na 470 5,640

biogen idec (Weston, ma) Weston, ma 4,850 4,547

Csl ltd. (victoria, australia) victoria, australia 10,340 3,930

genzyme (Cambridge, ma) Cambridge, ma 10,100 3,417

allergan (irvine, Ca) irvine, Ca 1,800 1,419

alexion Pharma (Cheshire, Ct) Cheshire, Ct 792 541

Sources: FiercePharma, WetFeet analysis

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Despite the recent global recession, pharmaceuti-cal sales in India increased by 18.4 percent in 2009, reports consulting firm McKinsey & Company, with performance expected to reach the $40 billion mark by 2015. Hiring has been equally robust, with some top companies increasing their sales force by 50 per-

cent in 2010, according to PwC. Expansion plans and improved economic conditions suggest the hiring pace will pick up even more speed in coming years and, with it, pay hikes—in some cases, by as much as 13 percent. No doubt about it: India is one of the stars in the pharmerging market bloc.

Top 9 Pharma Companies in India by 2009 Sales

ComPany (global headquarters) 2010 sales ($b)

ranbaxy (gurgaon, india) 1.97

dr. reddy's laboratories (hyderabad, india) 1.65

Cipla (mumbai, india) 1.19

aurobindo Pharma (hyderabad, india) 910.53m

Cadila healthcare (ahmadabad, india) 407.09m

sun Pharma industries (mumbai, india) 401.52m

glaxosmithKline Pharma (mumbai, india) 398.85m

ipca laboratories (mumbai, india) 343.27m

aventis Pharma (mumbai, india) 207.74m

Sources: Corporate Catalyst India

The Recruiting Process ................56

Interviewing Tips ........................57

Getting Grilled ............................58

Grilling Your Interviewer ............59

Getting Hired

6



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the reCruiting PrOCess› recruiting PracticeS vary widely from company to company. Many recruit in person at a core set of business schools for positions in marketing and finance and at a core set of colleges or universities for BS and MS scientists, engineers, and sales reps.

If you interview with a company that is recruiting at your school, you’re likely to have your first interview on campus. This is a screen to see whether your skills and personality fit the general type the company is looking for. If the company is interested in you after the first round, you’re usually invited to interview at its head-quarters, sometimes with all travel expenses paid. If you go to headquarters, expect a long day—you’ll probably have somewhere between five and ten interviews with your would-be boss, folks in human resources, your would-be coworkers, and, often, your would-be boss’s boss.

If the company or companies that interest you don’t recruit on your campus (or if they recruit on your campus, but only for positions you’re not pursuing), you’ll need to take some initiative. This can take many forms, but one of the best is networking. “If you can make a personal connection inside a company, you’ll be way ahead of the game,” says one insider. In addi-tion to using friends and family members, graduates should consider using their alumni associations to find alums in the industry from whom they can request an informational interview. In rare cases, a helpful alum can help you find a job outright; more often, he or she

will help you target your search and connect you with the right people. Former professors—particularly those closely connected to the industry—are another valuable networking resource.

Many companies have comprehensive and up-to-date job listings posted on their websites, and most let you apply online. Even if you don’t apply for one of these jobs, looking at several sites can give you a good idea of what’s going on in terms of industry hiring (or at least a specific company’s hiring).

Don’t overlook the want ads. “If there aren’t any listings for sales reps on the job sites this week,” says one field sales rep, “there’ll be some next week.” Good online resources include BioSpace.com, Medzilla.com, and ChemJobs.org. Scientists should also look in the classified sections of journals such as Science and Nature, both of which have online versions.

Whatever strategy you use, be persistent. It may take you several months to land a job, but if you find a good one, it will be time well spent.

unDErgraDs/mastEr’sMany companies offer internships for undergraduates studying a variety of disciplines, and they offer co-op programs for students pursuing industry-related science degrees such as chemistry or molecular biology. Some larger firms have rotation programs for top candidates coming straight out of college. These programs typically rotate fresh-faced recruits through four- to eight-month assignments during the course of two to three years. Merck, for example, offers programs in information sys-tems, sales and marketing, manufacturing, and human resources. Internships, co-ops, and rotation programs all offer a fantastic way to learn about the industry and make it onto the radar screens of the right people. To find out if a specific company has such a program, visit its website or contact its college recruiting department.

Several insiders recommend industry-oriented temp agencies as an excellent way for BS/MS holders who want to work in R&D or QA/QC to get a foot in

“if you can make a personal connection inside a company, you’ll be way ahead of the game.”

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the door. Agencies include On Assignment and Kelly Scientifi c. Many of these jobs are temp-to-perm, which means you might wind up with a full-time position in an industry lab.

Another good entry point is manufacturing. “You may wonder why you went to school for four years,” says an industry recruiter, “but it’s a proving ground.” Science-based manufacturing requires a highly skilled labor force, but because you can’t learn the specifi c skills in school, companies will train you from the ground up. You’ll get the kind of exposure you need to move into

other areas that interest you.If you don’t have a technical background or mechan-

ical aptitude, your best ticket into the industry is as a pharmaceutical sales rep. You’ll be told you need sales experience, but there are plenty of insider reports of get-ting hired without it.

mBas Several Big Pharma companies off er rotation programs for top candidates graduating from business school. Th ese programs move participants through shifts at a variety of organizational functions—sales, marketing, fi nance, operations—and serve as an institutional fast track for top management prospects. A good exam-ple is Johnson & Johnson’s Finance MBA Leadership Development Program. But most MBAs aren’t hired

into rotation programs; they’re more likely to fi nd jobs in marketing and fi nance. A summer internship between the fi rst and second years of business school often serves as a tryout for a company’s rotation pro-gram and standard positions.

MBAs looking for jobs in business development may have to wait a couple of years. “Business develop-ment people need a fat Rolodex,” says one insider, “and it takes a while to build one up.”

PhDsFor permanent positions such as research scientist, PhDs should have at least one scientifi c publication under their belts, preferably as fi rst author, and should have completed a postdoc. Many companies hire recent PhDs for postdoc positions as well. For all such scien-tists, fi nding a lab that does what you do is the central task. Networking and classifi ed ads in specialized scien-tifi c journals are the best options.

mDsMost of the jobs in the industry are for specialists. It’s very uncommon to get hired straight out of a residency; most hires need to have some clinical practice experi-ence. Any experience as a clinical investigator is a big plus.

interviewing tiPs1. Talk the talk. Technical folks should be ready to

demonstrate they can apply what they’ve learned in school. “If a candidate who’s taken some chem courses can’t tell us how to make a one-molar solution of a given reagent,” says one insider, “it’s a very bad sign.” Th is may mean you’ll need to spend some time before your interview review-ing some of those textbooks you haven’t looked at since freshman year.

2. Consider personality fi t. Before you go into the interview, think about the nature of the company and the type of person who’s likely to thrive there.



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Chances are good that a smaller company will want someone who can handle uncertainty, while a huge pharmaceutical company will be looking for some-one who does things by the book. Be honest about your capabilities, but give some thought as to how to present yourself in the best light.

3. Research the company. Particularly for nontechni-cal people, it’s key to have general knowledge of the industry and specific knowledge of the company you’re interviewing with. For company informa-tion, a company’s website is a very good place to start, but you’ll get a broader perspective if you can find an objective third-party source. This guide is a good start for general knowledge; to go a little deeper, check out the recommended reading in “For Your Reference.” Here are a few things you should know before the interview:

• Where is the company headquartered? • What are the company’s leading drugs and/or

therapeutic areas?• If it’s a diversified company, what are its

nonpharmaceutical businesses?• What does the company pride itself on? • What does its pipeline look like? • What distinguishes it from others in the pack?

4. Research the research. If you’re applying to work in a lab, learn as much as you can about the work that goes on there. If you’ve done very similar work, you’re in great shape. If not, studying up on your would-be lab’s specialty is a great way to prepare for your interview. Find out the name of the PhD who runs the lab, and do a search to see if she has published anything recently. If she has, read it.

5. Think about your soft skills. Behavioral inter-viewing is popular in the industry, particularly for nontechnical positions. In a behavioral inter-view, the interviewer asks for examples of experi-ences in which you demonstrated certain traits. “Give an example of a time you took a leadership role,” is a classic behavioral interview question. If

you’re applying for a nontechnical position, spend some time before your interview thinking about your work, school, and extracurricular experiences. Make a few mental notes of moments or anecdotes that might prove relevant to behavioral interview questions.

6. Be team oriented. Most of the work that goes on in this industry is collaborative, and the people hiring you will want to make sure you can work this way. Recruiters look for the ability to communicate well in addition to the right academic credentials and experience. You won’t be exclusively working at the bench—you’ll probably serve on teams with people from marketing, finance, engineering, and manufacturing. This is also important for MDs, who often must fight against the stereotype that they are hyperindividualists who can’t work as part of a team.

7. Be real. If you can’t answer a question, say so. In the words of the director of college recruiting at a leading pharmaceutical company, “‘I don’t know’ is a perfectly acceptable answer to some questions.”

8. Request clarification. If you’re not sure you understand what your interviewer is asking, don’t be afraid to say so. It’s much better to have the interviewer rephrase a question than to squander your valuable interview time answering the wrong question.

9. Stay calm. This is a big industry. If one company doesn’t hire you, you can find another one that will.

10. Be aware of trends. The industry is changing sig-nificantly. A little reading of trade and mainstream publications covering pharma can go a long way toward a solid—and productive—interview.

getting grilleD› Some interviewerS work from a script, others wing it, and still others tailor their questions to your particular background. Here are some things they might ask:

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• Why do you want to work in this industry? (Try to think of something besides the part about saving lives—which is not to say you shouldn’t mention it. But, if you mention it and something else, you’re more likely to make a lasting impression.)

• Where do you see yourself five years down the road?• Give me an example of a time you took a leadership

role.• Give me an example of a time you worked as part of

a team to accomplish a goal.

grilling yOur interviewer› here are Some good questions to ask your inter-viewer. Not all of them may apply to you, but most are of general interest to anyone choosing an employer, and we have listed some of special importance in the pharmaceutical industry. The questions assume you will have already covered basic topics such as compensation and benefits packages.

for Everyone• How do you see the industry changing during the

next five (ten) years?• What distinguishes this company from (competitor’s

name)?• What types of career opportunities could this job

lead to?• What are your favorite and least favorite things about

this job/company?• How does this company develop its employees?• Is the company involved in any biotechnology

research or alliances with biotech? • What impact do you think industry consolidation

will have on the company?• What is the company’s sales strategy? Are there any

potential changes on the horizon?

for nonscientists• What career paths are available at this company for

those without a scientific background? Are there any roadblocks to be aware of?

for scientists• How many management opportunities are available

for scientists at this company? Are there any road-blocks to be aware of?

for marketers• Does this company give promotional preference to

those with field sales experience? • Are rotational opportunities available to get sales

experience?

Industry Lingo ............................62

Recommended Reading ..............65

Online Resources ........................66

For Your Reference

7



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inDustry lingO› every inDuStry haS its own jargon; pharma-ceuticals is no exception. The definitions that follow are designed merely to get you started; the list is not comprehensive.

Action letterLetter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announcing a decision.

Approval letter Type of FDA action letter that allows a drug to go to market. An approvable letter is a type of FDA action let-ter that indicates a drug can be approved for marketing pending the resolution of minor deficiencies, which are outlined in the letter.

Bioinformatics The management and analysis of biological research data using advanced computing techniques. Particularly important in genomics research because of the large amount of complex data generated.

BiotechnologyThe industrial use of living organisms (or their parts) to produce drugs, foods, and other products.

Breakthrough drug A drug that offers a dramatic step forward in terms of effectiveness, side effects, dosing, and/or price. Breakthrough drugs often get coverage on the evening news or talk shows.

Clinical development planAn internal document that lays out the clinical studies a pharmaceutical company intends to perform with a developmental drug to support a new drug application for marketing approval.

Clinical trial Any study in one of four phases of rigorous testing conducted to establish a drug’s safety and effectiveness in humans. Phase I tests a tiny group of healthy peo-ple to determine the safe dosage range and track how the drug is metabolized by the body. Phase II tests a midsize group of patients who have the condition tar-geted by the prospective drug. Phase III increases the test group to more than a thousand patients and uses a double-blind, placebo-controlled protocol. If a drug is clearly more effective than the placebo and causes no serious adverse events, the manufacturer submits an NDA. Phase IV involves postmarketing studies done after drug approval.

ComplianceActing in accordance with regulatory rules and written internal procedures. A company in compliance does what it says it is doing and follows procedures as they have been written and approved. Compliance pertains to activities in manufacturing, regulatory affairs, drug safety, sales, and other areas throughout a pharmaceuti-cal company.

Contract research organization (CRO) A contract organization that oversees the clinical trials required for FDA approval of a drug.

Contract sales organization (CSO) A contract organization that helps market and sell drugs for companies that lack the resources to do it them-selves.

Detail Usually a verb in pharmaceutical sales. To detail is to provide a doctor with information about a product, particularly with the help of a company-produced visual aid. Within marketing, nondetailing activities are those outside of direct selling to physicians.

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Direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing Prescription drug advertising that targets laypeople rather than physicians.

Drug delivery How a drug is administered: capsule, nasal spray, inhaler, intravenous injection, suppository, or liquid meant for oral ingestion.

Ethical pharmaceuticals Products, including biological and medicinal chemi-cals, used to treat disease in humans or animals and promoted mainly to health-care professionals. This cat-egory may include over-the-counter and prescription drugs. The term is used to distinguish legal drugs from illicit substances.

European Medicines Agency (EMA)Body of the European Union that evaluates medicines and grants marketing authorization for sales in E.U. countries. The EMA is the E.U.’s equivalent to the U.S. FDA. It is based in London.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)The U.S. governmental agency charged with ensur-ing the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, foods, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is the division that grants industry permission to conduct drug trials, evaluates the safety and efficacy data from investigational compounds, and grants or denies marketing rights.

FormularyA managed care company’s list of reimbursable drugs. When a patented drug goes off patent, it is usually kicked off the formulary in favor of a cheaper generic.

Generic (or off-patent) drug Once the patent on a drug expires, anyone can manu-facture and sell it. An entire generic drug industry does precisely that, and because generic drug companies have no R&D costs to cover, they can sell the drug at a 50 to 90 percent discount.

GenomicsThe study of genes and their functions. Genomic research is revolutionizing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of disease and revealing thou-sands of new biological targets for drug development.

Good clinical practice (GCP)An international quality standard governing the design, conduct, performance, monitoring, auditing, record-ing, analysis, and reporting of clinical trials. GCP guidelines include the protection of a clinical study sub-ject’s human rights.

Good manufacturing practice (GMP) Manufacturing regulations established by the FDA that require companies to document extensively their ongo-ing manufacturing efforts. The term GMP is recognized wordwide, although various countries enforce their own typically similar requirements. If you work in quality assurance or quality control, GMPs will exert a large influence over your life.

International Conference on Harmonization (ICH)A project that brings together the regulatory authori-ties of Europe, Japan, and the U.S. and experts from the pharmaceutical industry in the three regions to discuss scientific and technical aspects of product registration. In harmonizing clinical and manufacturing standards, ICH aims to achieve more economical use of human, animal, and mate-rial resources and eliminate delay in bringing safe, important medicines to market. The body’s full name is the International Conference on



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Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use.

Investigational new drug (IND) applicationWhen a company is ready to begin testing a drug on humans, it submits an IND application to the FDA, which then has 30 days to accept or reject it. If the application is accepted, the company proceeds with its clinical trial program, typically starting with a Phase I safety study.

New drug application (NDA) A company’s final FDA application to sell a prescrip-tion drug. It is not uncommon for an NDA to be 50,000 pages long, although electronic submission is finally supplanting the truckloads of paper that had been the hallmark of a completed application. FDA review takes 10 months, unless the drug treats a life-threatening illness or one that has no effective phar-macological treatments. In such cases, the FDA often gives the application a priority review and trims its review time to six months.

Over-the-counter drugA drug that can be sold directly to consumers without a prescription. Most new OTC drugs started out as prescription drugs.

Patented drug A drug that is under patent to a pharmaceutical com-pany. A patent on a drug lasts for 20 years. When it runs out, the company’s competitors can produce and sell the drug as a generic.

PharmacodynamicsThe study of the action of a drug in the body during a period of time. In short, it’s how a drug acts on the body.

PharmacoeconomicsSometimes called outcomes research, pharmacoeconom-ics applies cost-benefit analyses to compare the eco-

nomics of different pharma products or to compare drug therapy to other treatments. Cost is measured in terms of money and quality of life.

Pharmacogenomics The study of how one’s genetic inheritance affects the body’s response to drugs. The idea is that drugs might one day be tailor-made for individuals and adapted to each person’s genetic makeup. Pharmacogenomics combines biochemistry with knowledge of genes, pro-teins, and single nucleotide polymorphisms.

PharmacokineticsThe study of the bodily absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs. In short, it’s how the body acts on a drug.

Pipeline A company’s collection of drugs in development. Because drugs are patented for only 20 years—and it can take a decade or longer to bring a drug to mar-ket—pipeline strength is a key predictor of a compa-ny’s success.

ProtocolA study plan on which all clinical trials are based. A protocol describes what types of people may participate in the trial; the schedule of tests, procedures, medica-tions, and dosages; and the length of the study. The plan is carefully designed to safeguard the health of the participants as well as to answer specific research questions.

Quality assurance and control The folks who work in this area make sure drugs are manufactured in accordance with global regulations. Companies refer to this function in varying man-ners—QA, QC, QA/QC, or simply quality—and have similarly varying ways of breaking up quality-related activities within the organization. In general, quality assurance ensures processes meet regulatory require-

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ments, and quality control ensures the integrity of a finished product.

ValidationA manufacturing regulation requiring pharmaceuti-cal manufacturers to show their methods, procedures, equipment, and computer systems operate according to predetermined specifications, and that they fulfill their purported functions. The goal is to ensure quality is built into the system at every step.

Visual (or detail) aidA booklet, brochure, or other print piece used by sales reps to engage physicians in productive dialogue about a drug. Visual aids typically include clinical informa-tion about a product’s effectiveness and safety, and are enhanced by charts and graphs.

reCOmmenDeD reADingThe Generic Challenge: Understanding Patents, FDA and Pharmaceutical Life-Cycle ManagementJust shy of 200 pages, Voet’s book is a quick, up-to-date read of the regulatory and legal issues facing drugmak-ers today. In its third printing, The Generic Challenge has been revised to include an analysis of the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act, and other legis-lation poised to affect drug development.Martin A. Voet (Brown Walker Press, 2011)

Building Global BioBrands: Taking Biotechnology to MarketThis book is full of real-world case studies. Academics and marketing strategists Simon and Kotler write authoritatively (if not always engagingly) about the business of biotechnology, a pie they slice three ways to address innovation, marketing models, and global strategies. Most pertinent for aspiring biotech market-ers and managers, the book studies the points at which biotech and pharma intersect. The book is especially valuable for its international insight.Francoise Simon and Philip Kotler (Free Press, 2009)

Shaping the Industrial Century: The Remarkable Story of the Evolution of the Modern Chemical and Pharmaceutical IndustriesUnderstanding today’s trends is one thing; knowing how the industry got to where it’s at is another. This book, written by business historian Alfred Chandler, provides the context for Big Pharma’s rise and sug-gests ways in which the current biotech revolution and the information revolution of the 1960s—both influential to the development of pharmaceutical drugs—are similar.Alfred D. Chandler, Jr. (Harvard University Press, 2009)

Understanding Pharma: The Professional’s Guide to How Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies Really WorkLauded for its comprehensive look at the industry, this book is in its second printing because of its popularity among pharma professionals who praise its usefulness as a training tool for new and seasoned staff alike. John J. Campbell (Pharmaceutical Institute, 2008)



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Online resOurCesthe american society for microbiology (www.asm.org)This organization claims the oldest and larg-est single life science membership in the world, and sponsors industry meetings including the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a useful networking opportunity for those in clinical development.

Biospace.comThis website is a comprehensive source of daily bio-tech and pharmaceutical news, stock quotes, com-pany profiles, jobs, and industry events.

chemjobs.org Scientists can post a resume or browse job openings at the careers site of Chemical & Engineering News, a publication of the American Chemical Society. Academic jobs abound, but industry jobs are included.

Drug information association (www.diahome.org)Check this site for jobs in clinical development and industry internships.

fDa (www.fda.gov)It looks as dry as you would expect from a gov-ernment agency, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration site is useful for understanding the breadth and depth of U.S. drug regulations. Visit the section for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), which is the FDA division that governs pharmaceuticals.

ims health (www.imshealth.com)A good source for market information. The Press Room section has top-line data on the U.S. and global pharmaceutical markets.

inPharm.comYou can post your resume at this online recruitment service for the pharma industry. The job search fea-ture lets you look for positions in specific locations around the world.

Pharmaceutical Executive (www.pharmexec.com)This incredibly informative magazine delivers feature stories covering an array of industry current events and trends. It also offers special supplements on clini-cal trials, product management, sales management, and careers. Free content is available on its website.

Pharmaceutical online (www.pharmaceuticalonline.com)This website offers news and information for profes-sionals in pharmaceutical manufacturing, processing, and engineering. It also offers a free newsletter.

Pharmalive.comThis website is full of news about the industry, including developments in business, marketing and advertising, R&D, and more. Its magazine Med Ad News (www.pharmalive.com/magazines/medad) is written for the advertising industry about the drug industry and is an outstanding resource for the industry novice.

Phrma (www.phrma.org)The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America is a leading trade organization and its web-site is a good, if biased, source for information on industry statistics, policies, developments, and play-ers.

rxlist.comThis frequently cited website offers a comprehensive listing of drug and alternative medicine monographs. RxMed.com (www.rxmed.com) offers the same (with

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a drug list that’s arguably easier to browse), and this one also has a nicely formatted collection of disease information sheets.

science magazine (www.sciencemag.org)This online counterpart to one of the world’s lead-ing science journals offers career advice and job post-ings for scientists, plus free article content from issues older than one year.

>> The WetFeet StoryWetFeet was founded in 1994 by Stanford MBAs Gary Alpert and Steve Pollock. While exploring their next career moves, they needed products like the WetFeet Insider Guides to guide them through their research and interviews. But these resources didn’t exist yet—so they started writing! Since then, millions of job seekers have used the WetFeet Insider Guides and WetFeet.com to research their next career move.

In 2007 WetFeet became part of Universum Communications, the global leader in employer branding. Thanks to the integration of WetFeet into the Universum group, WetFeet products are now used by job seekers all over the world. In addition to our Insider Guides and WetFeet.com, we produce WetFeet magazine, which features career advice tailored to undergraduate students.

>> The WetFeet NameThe inspiration for our name comes from a popular business school case study about L.L. Bean, the successful mail-order company. Leon Leonwood Bean got his start because he literally got his feet wet: Every time he went hunting in the Maine woods, his shoes leaked. One day he set out to make a better hunting shoe, doing such a good job that his friends lined up to buy pairs of the boots. And so L.L. Bean was born.

The lesson we took from the Bean case? Well, it shows that getting your feet wet is the first step toward achieving success. And that’s what WetFeet is here for: To help you get your feet wet and take the right steps toward ever-greater career goals, whatever they may be.

>>Saving lives, making money, leaving work by 6 o’clock: How many industries can offer job seekers this combination of rewards and perks? Not many. If you want a career in a field with a promising future but you don’t want to spend every waking hour at work, consider the pharmaceutical industry. Fueled by an aging population, demand for medications continues to grow both in the U.S. and international markets, and so does demand for skilled professionals in the field. We’ve sought out industry insiders and recruiters to find out what job seekers should know before they make their moves.

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WetFeet has earned a strong reputation among college graduates and career professionals for its series of highly credible, no-holds-barred Insider Guides. WetFeet’s investi-gative writers get behind the annual reports and corporate PR to tell the real story of what it’s like to work at specific companies and in different industries. www.WetFeet.com

★ THE LATEST FORCES DRIVING CHANGE IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL FIELD

★ A PRIMER ON THE PHARMA PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

★ THE TYPICAL RECRUITING PROCESS AND HOW IT’S LIKELY TO VARY FOR UNDERGRADS, MBAs, PHDs, AND MIDCAREER CANDIDATES

★ OPPORTUNITIES IN AREAS FROM SALES AND MARKETING TO ENGINEERING AND RESEARCH

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