Pf Magazine Winter 21

REFLECTIONS ON THE YEAR

WINTER 2021 2021: Lessons learned Career case studies Critical challenges for 2022 PF-MEDIA .CO.UK

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Marketing plans • Forecast for the year • Industry updates And much more…

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W

Hello.

elcome to the last Pf Magazine of the year, which is one of reflection and contemplation.

As we headed into the colder months, there was significant trepidation about the pressures of the winter period on an already stretched NHS. There is a record waiting list of 5.5 million people waiting for routine hospital treatment, of which 1.7 million have been waiting more than 18 weeks.1 As I write this, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has updated its guidance to advise that the Covid-19 booster vaccination be offered to all adults over 40, whereas they had previously recommended that all adults aged 50 and over should receive it.

Although the pandemic is far from over, looking back on the year and taking stock ensures that, as an industry, pharma can use what it has learned so far from Covid-19 and apply it to other areas of healthcare. With that in mind, our cover story focuses on lessons learned from 2021, with perspectives from pharma professionals, healthcare experts and a patient.

As well as reflecting on the bigger picture, it is also the time of year that people contemplate their careers and what they want to achieve professionally. Our career case studies offer some inspiring insight into the career paths of a Principal Scientist, a leader in women’s health, a manager who was awarded a prestigious Pf Award and a Business Director turned Medical Director.

We also take a look at a career in pharmacy, as Helen Porter, Pharmacy Dean London and South East, Health Education England, shares her career journey and explores why working in pharmacy is such a varied and rewarding job.

As employees start heading slowly back into the office, our feature on page 26 considers how to re-augment staff skills and fully embrace the digitally enabled customer experience.

Looking just around the corner, Oli Hudson sets out four ways that pharma companies can get ahead of the curve in 2022. Read his article on page 28.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue and look out for our new QR code which we have introduced to help you find more of the content you’re interested in. Just scan the code and it will take you straight to www.pf-media.co.uk where you will find exclusive features and videos on the same topic or by the same author.

Have a happy Christmas and a relaxing break.

EDITOR

Emma Cooper emma.cooper@e4h.co.uk HEAD OF MARKETING OPERATIONS

Emma Morriss emma.morriss@e4h.co.uk CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Emma Warfield emma@e4h.co.uk MID WEIGHT DESIGNER

Sigrid Dalland sigrid@e4h.co.uk SENIOR EDITOR E4H

Amy Schofield amy@pharmafield.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

Hazel Lodge hazel@e4h.co.uk FINANCIAL CONTROLLER

Fiona Beard finance@e4h.co.uk Pf AWARDS

Melanie Hamer melanie@e4h.co.uk PUBLISHER

Karl Hamer karl@e4h.co.uk HEAD OFFICE

3 Waterloo Farm Courtyard, Stotfold Road Arlesey, Bedfordshire SG15 6XP United Kingdom NEWS DESK

newsdesk@pharmafield.co.uk Reference: 1. https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/news/almost-17bnneeded-to-clear-backlog-and-treat-expected-rise-in-patients

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M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 1

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Contributors

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Pf Magazine

MARK WARD 

DOINA IONESCU 

RICHARD TORBETT 

Mark Ward is Business Development Director at Star OUTiCO. 2021: Lessons learned, page 08

Doina is Merck’s General Manager for the UK & Ireland and, in June this year, she was elected to the Board of Directors for the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

2021: Lessons learned, page 08

Richard is Chief Executive of the ABPI. 2021: Lessons learned, page 08

DAVID THORNE

David is Director of NHS Insights at Mtech Access and Business Development Director at Well Up North PCN. 2021: Lessons learned, page 08

CRAIG BRADLEY

Craig is Head of Marketing, Immunology and HAE, Takeda UK Limited.

2021: Lessons learned, page 08

KARL HAMER

Karl is Managing Director of E4H, a leading agency for pharma brand commercialisation, digital and omnichannel solutions.

He is an experienced pharma professional having worked across sales, marketing and operations for AstraZeneca.

2021: Lessons learned, page 08

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KATE QUIRK

Kate is a cancer patient and Patient Support Coordinator for advocacy group Neuroendocrine Cancer UK. 2021: Lessons learned, page 08 BEN OSBORN

Ben is President of the ABPI. 2021: Lessons learned, page 08

ANNE CONNOLLY MBE

Anne is a GP and Chair of the Primary Care Women’s Health Forum.

2021: Lessons learned, page 08 TINA BACKHOUSE

Tina is Country Manager at Theramex UK. Working your way up in women’s health, page 12 MARTYN HISCOX

Martyn is Principal Scientist at Display Technologies and oversees the scientific leadership and management of pipeline activities.

Under the microscope, page 14

In this issue 04 HELEN PORTER 

Helen is the lead Health Education England Dean nationally on pharmacy careers, apprenticeships, reforming initial education and training for pharmacists, and the technician workforce.

A career in pharmacy, page 16 COLIN PRENTICE

Colin is Commercial Director at Evolve and has been involved in recruitment and CSO within pharma, Medtech and life sciences for over 20 years.

Evolving through the year, page 18 STUART HILL

Stuart is Medical Director for the UK and Ireland at Merck.

From Business Director to Medical Director, page 22 GULFAM WALI

Gulfam is Regional Business Manager, Radiology, at Bayer.

Meet the manager, page 24 DAVID REILLY

David is the Founder of Let’s Learn Digital and is passionate about exploring emerging digital technology in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Future proofing skills, page 26

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ICYMI

INSIGHT

An overview of the best bits recently published on www.pf-media.co.uk

The future of science: What are young people’s attitudes to a career in STEM?

06

INDUSTRY ROUND-UP

The latest news, current collaborations and ones to watch in the industry

08

22

CAREER CASE STUDIES

Stuart Hill: From Business Director to Medical Director

24

COVER STORY

PF AWARDS

2021: Lessons learned

Winner of the 2021 Outstanding Management Award, Gulfam Wali

12

CAREER CASE STUDIES

Tina Backhouse: Working your way up in women’s health

14

CAREER CASE STUDIES

Martyn Hiscox: Under the microscope

16

INSIGHT

A career in pharmacy: Why variety and impact are the name of the game

18

26

INSIGHT

Future proofing skills: Are pharma employees ready for the digitally enabled customer experience?

28

ADVERTORIAL

From policy to practice: Four ways to get ahead of the curve in 2022

30

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Who’s moving where in the industry?

32

ADVERTORIAL

CAREERS

Reflecting on recruitment: Evolving through the year

Pharma job seeking in 2021: What proved popular?

OLI HUDSON

Oli is Content Director at Wilmington Healthcare.

Four ways to get ahead of the curve in 2022, page 28 EMMA MORRISS

Emma is Head of Marketing Operations at E4H. Pharma job seeking in 2021, page 32

“Collaboration is key; we now need to take what we’ve learned in the pandemic and apply that knowledge to other areas of healthcare” Richard Torbett, page 08

ICYMI

PF-MEDIA.CO.UK HAVE YOUR SAY

DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION YOU WANT TO SHARE? Get in touch to contribute thought leadership opinion pieces and add your voice to the conversation.

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QUICK LOOK QR CODE

MORE THAN JUST PRINT. In between your quarterly issues of Pf Magazine, you will find daily news, exclusive web articles and thought leadership opinion pieces on www.pf-media.co.uk Take a look at some of the exclusive content you may have missed and the exciting things we’ve got coming up.

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We’ve introduced a QR code to help you curate the content that interests you.

If there is a contributor or topic you would like to know more about whilst enjoying Pf Magazine, use the QR code at the end of the article to take you straight to www.pf-media.co.uk and find out more.

ICYMI

NEWS | WEB.EXCLUSIVES | TECH | COVID-19 | GLOBAL.PHARMA | DIRECTORY

LOOK WHAT’S JUST LAUNCHED OUR NEW WEBSITE IS LIVE and already packed with exclusive videos, in-depth features and thought leadership from industry insiders.

WEB EXCLUSIVES Industry leaders driving the debate and writing exclusive opinion pieces for Pf Media.

VIDEO Our new website will launch with a 5in5 video interview series, where we put 5 questions to industry leaders in 5 minutes.

FOUR ARTICLES NOT TO MISS THIS MONTH

PATIENT PERSPECTIVE: TWENTY YEARS LIVING WITH LUNG NEUROENDOCRINE CANCER

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ADAPTING FOR SUCCESS: UNDERSTANDING COMMERCIAL OPTIMISATION

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In support of World Neuroendocrine Cancer Day, Pf asked cancer patient Kate Quirk to share the story of her journey, which began with a diagnosis in 2003. Now a Patient Support Coordinator for advocacy group Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, Kate is using her experience to raise awareness and help others.

Oli Hudson, Content Director at Wilmington Healthcare, examines how pharma companies can best align their field force with the changing landscape within the NHS and outlines the critical steps to think about in order to optimise resources for commercial success.

Following the news headlines that health leaders were making a plea for the government to unleash Plan B or face crisis over the winter period, Raja Sharif, Founder and CEO of FarmaTrust weighs up vaccine passports and the positives of private sector technology providers.

How is recruitment recovering from the pandemic? Featuring a candidate perspective and an employer perspective, Andy Anderson, Recruitment Director at Evolve, shares his insights into the current commercial marketplace within pharma and Medtech.

VACCINE PASSPORTS, TECHNOLOGY AND TRUST: IS THE NHS HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

WHAT DOES COMMERCIAL RECRUITMENT IN PHARMA AND MEDTECH LOOK LIKE NOW?

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Ones to watch Start-ups that have caught our attention

BASEIMMUNE Imperial College-based biotech start-up, Baseimmune, has secured funding to develop the next generation of future-proof universal vaccines against existing and emerging human and animal health threats including Covid, malaria and African Swine Fever.

The start-up is led by two young vaccine researchers who met while doing their PhDs at the Jenner Institute at Oxford University.

They then teamed up with teamed up with software engineer Phillip Kemlo to build the antigen design algorithm. www.baseimmune.co.uk

ONA THERAPEUTICS The biotech company specialising in the discovery and development of therapeutic biologics targeting lipid metabolism in order to treat advanced cancer has appointed the former Head of Antibody Pharmacology at GlaxoSmithKline, Dr Haijun Sun as Chief Scientific Officer.

Dr Haijun Sun brings over 20 years of industry experience spanning broad aspects of drug discovery & development, particularly targeting therapies against tumors and the tumor microenvironment. ona-therapeutics.com

CC BIO Synthetic biology start-up CC Bio has raised £890,000 seed funding from Cambridge-based CMS Ventures to accelerate development of its innovative approach to infection treatment and prevention.

The funding will be used to further develop CC Bio’s microbiome editing technologies which harness potent enzymes derived from bacterial viruses to precisely seek out and destroy harmful and disease-causing bacteria. This precision medicine approach is expected to provide an effective alternative to antibiotic treatment of infections and microbiomeassociated disease – as well as potentially preventing many such infections occurring in the first place. www.ccbio.co.uk

Interested in start-ups? Head over to www.pf-media.co.uk to read an exclusive thought leadership article on the current funding landscape for expanding life sciences start-ups.

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INDUSTRY ROUND -UP

ORGANON

Organon is acquiring Forendo Pharma, a clinical-stage drug development company focused on novel treatments in women’s health.

The acquisition will bring to Organon a pipeline of candidates targeting new treatments for women, including a lead candidate for endometriosis and a secondary candidate in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

TAKEDA

Takeda has acquired GammaDelta Therapeutics Limited, a company focused on exploiting the unique properties of gamma delta T cells for immunotherapy.

Through the acquisition, Takeda will obtain GammaDelta’s allogeneic variable delta 1 gamma-delta T cell therapy platforms, which includes both blood-derived and tissue-derived platforms, in addition to early-stage cell therapy programs.

RBW CONSULTING

RBW Consulting, specialist life science and technology search consultancy, and Thorp Associates, executive search and selection company, have announced a merger. Emma Thorp, founder of Thorp Associates, is joining the board as the company’s Chief Growth Officer to expand and lead the executive consultancy services for the new group.

CRESTOPTICS

CrestOptics, a manufacturer of high-end microscopy solutions and advanced systems for fluorescence microscopy and diagnostic applications, has been acquired through a majority shareholding by Apposite Capital LLP, the healthcare specialist private equity investor.

The investment will support CrestOptics’ international commercial expansion and boost product development and innovation.

COLLABORATION CORNER

L–R: Phillip Kemlo, Ariane Gomes, Josh Blight – Cofounders of Baseimmune ©Brendan Foster Photography

ONCOLOGY

COVID-19

BIOTHERAPEUTICS

Exelixis and STORM Therapeutics have entered into an exclusive collaboration and license agreement under which the parties will discover and advance novel drug leads intended for the treatment of cancer.

The collaboration will focus initially on ADAR1, advancing early work by STORM applying its proprietary RNA epigenetic platform, as well as explore an additional undisclosed target. Exelixis will pay STORM an upfront fee of $17 million in exchange for licensing two of STORM’s discovery programs targeting RNA modifying enzymes.

CN Bio have announced a research collaboration with the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON), a global collaborative infectious disease R&D programme, to validate the next generation of COVID-19 research tools.

CN Bio’s SARS-CoV-2 3D lung cell culture models were developed as part of an Innovate UK project to improve the efficiency and accuracy of Covid-19 drug development.

The company was granted funding to build multi-cellular upper and lower human airway and multi-organ models that more accurately reflect the human environment and deliver more translatable data, in comparison to current in vivo studies.

Crystec and Biosidus have announced a collaboration focused on enhancing the delivery and performance of biotherapeutics. The overarching aim of the non-exclusive partnership is to apply Crystec’s proprietary mSAS® (modified supercritical antisolvent) supercritical fluid particle engineering platform to selected Biosidus products in order to generate a range of innovative, differentiated medicines.

The first programme prioritised in the partnership aims to accelerate the development of a dry powder preparation of teriparatide for the treatment of osteoporosis.

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2021 LESSONS LEARNED

As the year draws to a close, Pf asked pharma professionals and healthcare experts about their key learning from 2021.

WORDS BY Emma

Cooper

Being customerobsessed has never been more business-critical Mark Ward

MARK WARD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, STAR OUTICO

Being customer-obsessed has never been more business-critical. ‘Knowledge is power,’ and never has this statement been more appropriate than in the post-Covid digital world and the engagements pharma is driving with NHS stakeholders.

Understanding our customers, their preferences, and their personas, will ultimately enable the shift to personalised engagements using that mix of in-person and digital content. 2021 has

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seen a leap from ‘one to many’ (one size fits all), to ‘one to some’ (personalised to customer segments), and ultimately toward ‘one-to-one’ individualised customer journeys.

Companies are striving for both push and pull content – drawing engagement through customer interaction, triggers, and signals of interest. This, coupled with brand/product ‘events’ through ‘push’ messaging, makes for a more impactful and personalised approach.

An evolution of engagement, a balanced value exchange: the customer at the heart of engagement programmes in 2021.

C OV ER S TO RY

DAVID THORNE DIRECTOR OF NHS INSIGHTS AT MTECH ACCESS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AT WELL UP NORTH PCN.

2021 needs to be a siren call to pharma action. There can be no room for complacency, assumptions or analysis based upon pharma cultural bias.

The new integrated care era provides opportunity for pharma but only if we are honest about our level of fitness for that challenge. A formal Department of Health and Social Care document using ‘overprescribing’ in its sub-title

highlights that medicines do not have assumed value. Paradigms around budgets and decision-making are

completely changing at a strategic and tactical level. Reduced field access means companies are cut off from familiarity, with practical implications of cursor-led prescribing.

We have the first ever NHS reorganisation that is predicated on difference and the emergence of complex sub-systems where the NHS is increasingly a local archipelago.

That all calls for a very different approach from pharma and you can’t understand any of this by only looking in from the outside – you have to examine the NHS from the inside out.

KARL HAMER

DOINA IONESCU

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF E4H

MERCK UK & IRELAND GENERAL MANAGER

2021 has seen our clients engage us for much more than digital solutions. Following 2020’s quick pivot to digital, strategy had been playing catch-up. We’re all aware of how quickly the pharmaceutical and healthcare environment has changed over the past two years, and access to healthcare professionals (HCPs) has been limited.

This is where we have been drawing on our extensive networks to understand the evolving environment in which clients are operating, the changes across systems and the impact this is having.

As an independent agency, we have built up a unique position which has allowed us to draw on our insights and partners to recognise synergies between pharma and health, professional bodies, government, HCPs and patients.

HCPs still want to hear from, and listen to, pharma. They want to absorb the information in a meaningful and impactful way that is highly relevant to them. We have supported pharma, charities and HCP bodies in developing and engaging in these approaches and going beyond simple digital solutions.

As for development and delivery, all activities point to omnichannel. No matter where a client is on their omnichannel journey, industry has focused on building the infrastructure, assets and underlying data analysis systems to build a growing picture of individual customers and how best to reach them.

The industry has risen to the challenge of the pandemic and the focus on vaccines has quite rightly been centre-stage. However, the crisis has also laid bare deeper underlying sustainability challenges within our health system. Appropriate uptake of innovative medicines plays an important role in achieving sustainable care improvement and the ambitions of the Government’s new Life Sciences Vision (to turn the UK into the world leader in the development and uptake of new treatments) are very welcome.

Since joining the ABPI Board this year, I have had greater oversight of how industry is partnering with the NHS to look at future strategies and move from ‘crisis mode’ to creating a healthcare environment that encourages innovation and investment. Promising initial steps have been made in 2021 and we must ensure that the pharmaceutical industry continues to play a key role in these discussions.

I am also particularly interested in how personalised healthcare can benefit patients as well as bringing efficiencies and longerterm savings to the NHS. I firmly believe industry should play its part in driving this conversation, which is why Merck is currently capturing and planning to highlight examples of where personalised healthcare approaches are already being successfully implemented.

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HEAD OF MARKETING, IMMUNOLOGY & HAE, TAKEDA UK LIMITED

When I reflect on 2021 from a marketing perspective, there’s only one word that comes to mind – and that’s omnichannel! That age old marketers’ debate about multichannel and digital is definitely over. 2021 in UK pharma marketing has undoubtedly been the year of creating customer journeys and personas, and to power them we’ve had a ferocious need for granular level data and analytics to understand their behaviours and preferences. The output of all this has been to endeavour to develop ever more engaging content across a variety of integrated channels for our healthcare professional audience, that gives them a seamless experience in engaging with our brands. This is a far cry from the old standard of website, e-detail and a few choice leave pieces!

It’s definitely a great time to be in marketing, and as a function we’ve really come to the fore in the remote working environment brought on by Covid-19. When you factor in the new standard of the constant need for engaging content creation and dissemination across all optimal channels, plus the steady return of good old faceto-face activities in the hybrid model, I predict another busy year for marketers in 2022 too!

As cancer patients, we need good communication – in its absence sits misunderstanding, fear and doubt Kate Quirk

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e r s p p t e n ctive e i ta

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CRAIG BRADLEY

KATE QUIRK CANCER PATIENT AND PATIENT SUPPORT COORDINATOR FOR ADVOCACY GROUP NEUROENDOCRINE CANCER UK

The Big C isn’t for cancer, it’s for Communication.

After a neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis, patients follow a regular scanning and bloods surveillance programme for the rest of their lives. It’s a pattern patients get used to. But the pandemic caused huge interruptions to this cycle, raising patient anxiety levels to a new high.

This was compounded when the NHS came under even greater pressure and communications at most hospitals, and in primary care, were altered.

As cancer patients, we need good communication – in its absence sits misunderstanding, fear and doubt. Add to this a loss of continuity of care (and sometimes the person or team providing that care), and Covid caused even more turmoil.

Some tried telemedicine but it’s a bit like Marmite. It can work well, especially if patients have to travel to specialist cancer centres. But many more don’t like it, with some also slipping through the net entirely. For me, there is no substitute for face-to-face appointments.

As a charity, when patients need additional support, we encourage them to pick up the phone if in doubt or send an email to their team. It makes ALL the difference to a cancer patient when the communication is good. So, a key learning has to be recognising and acknowledging the impact of delays or interruptions to the patient surveillance cycle, and the effects (some good, some not so good) on patient care and anxiety levels.

C OV ER S TO RY

DR ANNE CONNOLLY MBE GP AND CHAIR OF THE PRIMARY CARE WOMEN’S HEALTH FORUM

Covid has forced a huge amount of change in primary care in a short amount of time, in terms of how we deliver services. The delivery of personalised holistic, quality care continues to be our focus on the frontline. Fragmentation of care is still a big issue and we need to find new ways of working to offer patients more choice, by utilising the skills of the wider workforce and engaging with charities and the voluntary sector to wrap services seamlessly around each person. We’re also yet to feel the true impact of the pandemic on wider health needs, as people who didn’t come forward with symptoms begin to

seek overdue treatment and care in an already over-stretched health service. We must now make sure the future service is equitable and appropriate for all – this means reducing inequalities by making access easy and looking at local solutions.

2021 has seen our clients engage us for much more than digital solutions Karl Hamer

BEN OSBORN ABPI PRESIDENT

COP26 has reinforced our industry’s determination to play the biggest possible role in tackling climate change.

Many pharmaceutical companies have made commitments, backed up by action and innovation, to create an environmentally sustainable industry, from the use of manufacturing facilities that are powered by renewable energy, to dramatic reductions in waste and use of water, and reducing the impact of supply chains by redesigning shipping routes and adopting more environment-friendly transportation schemes.

Companies are sourcing raw materials that are sustainable, renewable, or recycled, and using green chemistry to select the least environmentally damaging materials and most efficient processes.

I’m confident that our industry can be part of the solution to climate change and help the UK and NHS meet their sustainability targets.

RICHARD TORBETT ABPI CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Our industry has shown how integral we are in the response to a global health crisis, whether that is ensuring medicines continue to get to patients or working with our partners to develop therapeutics and vaccines.

That we were able to work across the world and deliver several effective vaccines for Covid-19 in little more than a year is quite amazing.

Collaboration is key; we now need to take what we’ve learned in the pandemic and apply that knowledge to other areas of healthcare.

If we do this, we can achieve a number of things. We can build back a more resilient NHS; be better prepared for future health crises; mitigate the health inequalities exposed by the pandemic and tackle other diseases which threaten society.

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WORKING YOUR WAY UP IN

WOMEN’S HEALTH INTERVIEW BY Emma

Cooper

Tell us about your job.

Theramex is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to women’s health and, in the UK, menopause is our primary focus. As Country Manager of Theramex UK, my job is incredibly different every single day – from seeing customers and talking to key opinion leaders (KOLs), to working internally to keep supply flowing into the UK and managing a diverse group of colleagues in marketing, commercial and sales. But whatever the day has in store, everything we do is focused on making a difference to the lives of women in the UK. I report to the CEO, Robert Stewart, and ultimately (as he often tells me!), everything that goes well or doesn’t go well in the UK is down to me!

Tina Backhouse, Country Manager, Theramex UK, talks to Pf about her passion for women’s health and how this has shaped her career journey so far.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced so far in your career?

Last year was challenging for us at Theramex, trying to stabilise the supply chain for a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) product that we had acquired and were determined to bring back into plentiful stock, in the middle of the pandemic. I am immensely proud of the whole team that we were able to do this. It was challenging to hear the stories of so many patients waiting desperately for their medication but it just made us even more determined to get it right.

Personally, I have always found losing people in the job the most challenging part – close colleagues and team members, as well as customers. All part of life, but difficult when you’ve built close relationships.

How did you get into the industry?

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I started my career in the pharmaceutical industry working in Clinical Research, where my manager worked out pretty quickly that I didn’t have the attention to detail required, suggesting instead I move into pharma sales. I had an interview with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), joined as a trainee GP rep and never looked back. Over the last 20 years, I’ve progressed through sales and marketing roles within several pharma companies. I’ve had the opportunity to work in the UK and the USA, always looking for breadth of opportunities.

I love talking to customers and hearing stories about the women that we are making a difference to. It is very humbling to be a tiny part of improving their quality of life and it’s something I never take for granted.

I am at the age where the menopause has struck me personally and I understand the impact this can have for ALL women.

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Do you feel like there is real change coming for women’s health in the UK? It’s a really exciting time for women in the UK with real momentum around improving their access to support during

the menopause. Seeing women like Davina McCall speak out about their experience is phenomenal. Improving access to care will require the combined efforts of patients, healthcare professionals, activists, policy makers and the pharmaceutical industry. It has become a personal crusade for myself and my team!

What’s the best piece of advice you could give to somebody looking to get into a role similar to yours?

Don’t overthink it – if the role and the company is right for you, the opportunity will be there. The day I walked into Theramex, I knew that this was the company for me and the passion I feel for women’s health and changing the health landscape means that the job was the right role for me at the right time in my life.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I would like to say in a cottage on the wild cliffs of Cornwall with a dalmatian for company, but I guess it depends on how long my kids want to stay in education! Either way I know that I will always be involved in the campaign for equality in women’s health and doing all I can to help ensure that every woman, regardless of circumstance or geography, has access to the support she needs. Go to www.theramex.com THX_GB_MEDIAKT_005850 | Date of preparation: October 21

CAREER CASE STUDIES

It’s a really exciting time for women in the UK with real momentum around improving their access to support during the menopause M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 13

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE INTERVIEW BY Emma

Cooper

Did you always have a strong interest in science at school?

I was always interested in how things worked and why the world was like it is.

My mother would always remark that as a child I never read fiction, it was always non-fiction, to the point of asking my uncle for a geography textbook one year for Christmas! As I got older, and we started to study science more in school, I was drawn to the subject. I found not only was I good at it, but that I really enjoyed understanding how things worked on a molecular or atomic level which really pushed me towards chemistry and physics.

How did you get into your current role at Display Technologies?

My PhD was a mix of chemistry and biochemistry and when this came to an end, I was looking for jobs in either field. I actually saw an advert for another company with whom they worked closely at the time and applied and attended joint interviews.

The idea that the work being done was going to have an impact for patients with terrible diseases in a short timeframe was really attractive. Since joining in 2013 as a scientist, I’ve had the opportunity to learn lots of new skills, both scientific and otherwise, and to work on some incredible projects finding T-cell receptors, that we can then optimise as a therapy for people with cancer.

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Pf talks to Martyn Hiscox, Principal Scientist in the phage display group at Display Technologies.

What advice would you give to recent graduates looking to follow a similar career path to yours?

Try as many different things as you can, learn every skill and technique that is presented to you. I have moved from being chemistry and physics orientated to being heavily involved in the life sciences; I think you can surprise yourself at what grabs your interest and where it leads you.

At 34, you have achieved a great deal in your career already. Do you have a five- or ten-year career plan?

I haven’t been one of those people who plans out all their next steps years in advance. I was lucky that my first job was at a growing company and I could grow with it. I know that it is the science that interests me. I love being involved in new ideas or problem solving. So, I hope the next five or ten years will give me more opportunities to do that, whether rolling up my sleeves in the lab or helping to lead teams of scientists towards their goals.

How do you feel the public perception of scientists has changed due to Covid and the vaccination roll-out?

I think it has been a bit of a mixed bag.

There are many people who are grateful for all the effort that the vaccine scientists have made to produce these medicines so

quickly. This has led to more appreciation of the work that we do as scientists.

On the other hand, I believe there is a subset of society which has disregarded the scientists who modelled the Covid outbreaks and made suggestions to politicians as infringing on their rights.

This is sad to see as I can assure people that those scientists working in medically related fields are always working towards the end goal of helping people and in some cases saving lives.

We’ve heard that you have had some of biggest breakthroughs in the shower.

Talk us through that (but keep it clean).

I’d like to know who spilt the beans about that! I’ve always found being in the shower gives me time to think about my day – I’m a morning shower person. What am I going to be doing? What timings do I need to hit in the lab to make sure I can also attend the meetings I have scheduled that day? Generally, I just find that is the time when things click, maybe I’ve digested the information I’ve learnt the day before and the connections have been made when I’ve been sleeping.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

A big challenge for me recently was being asked to lead the science to develop a

CAREER CASE STUDIES

#WeAreE4H

new form of therapy called an HLA independent TCR or HiT. The idea was that, instead of using a chimeric antigen receptor, which is a fusion of an antibody and a TCR to target a cell surface protein, we could in fact use a naturally occurring TCR. This was frontier science – which doesn’t always work! It also introduced me to other aspects of managing people and their work as well as a higher level of scrutiny from senior management. I was lucky to work with such a great team, whose efforts have led to sharing proof of concept results at the recent ASGCT congress and adding a new candidate to the company’s pipeline.

How do you switch off from work and enjoy your downtime?

I feel that it is really important to switch off from work. Exhaustion can be a real problem and you need to be on your a-game in the lab to make sure mistakes don’t happen, so I try to work hard during the day but to rest and relax in the evenings and at the weekend.

Since we spent a large part of last year in lockdown, I took up woodworking, mostly influenced by pictures of endgrain chopping boards on Instagram.

This was all well and good until I cut through a tendon in my hand with a chisel at the end of last year and had to get surgery to repair it!

The idea that the work being done was going to have an impact for patients with terrible diseases in a short timeframe was really attractive

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M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 15

A career in pharmacy: VARIETY & IMPACT Helen Porter, Pharmacy Dean London and South East, Health Education England, shares why a career in pharmacy has so much to offer.

INTERVIEW BY Emma

Cooper

Tell us about your pharmacy career so far My career started in hospital, working as part of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) providing care to patients with long-term illnesses. The needs of these patients were often very complex. Key to devising and agreeing the right treatment plan with the patient was being able to listen, to understand what was important to them. Most of my clinical career was on the frontline as a pharmacist prescriber in A&E and acute medicine.

I thrived on the variety, fast decision-making, and buzz of being part of a team.

After 10 years working on the frontline, I moved into leadership roles in large hospital trusts in Brighton and London. Through my leadership postions I was able to inspire and lead pharmacy teams to deliver and design pharmacy services with the patient at the heart.

My role as Pharmacy Dean for London, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex puts me at the heart of pharmacy workforce development and shaping the future of the profession. It’s a very exciting place now. The changing demands of healthcare and patients means the roles of pharmacy professionals are changing rapidly and there is a huge programme of reform underway to ensure that the early stages of education and training reflect the changing nature of practice, including the importance of assuring patient safety.

How varied can a career in pharmacy be?

As varied as you want it to be. On the frontline, as part of a team of healthcare professionals (HCPs) delivering care directly to patients and the public; preventing disease and improving health by developing, designing, and testing new treatments in the pharmaceutical industry; teaching a new generation of pharmacy professionals in academia or leading and developing teams to provide care to people in a healthcare setting, in a local community, within a region, across the country or globally. The opportunities are endless.

Whilst the pandemic has shone a light on how the profession has made a real difference to the health of

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patients and the public, we need to increase the visibility of the profession by showcasing the diverse roles on offer and ignite a passion in young people for pharmacy.

What do you think is the best thing about being a pharmacist? When I worked in clinical practice, it was knowing that, right there and then, you had done something that made a difference to someone’s life. It could be in the moment – like helping a patient butter their toast – or more long-term, such as understanding that the reason why they kept returning to hospital was not because their medicines weren’t working, but because they didn’t take them to avoid the side-effects. Only by listening and understanding could you work with the patient and the healthcare team to make changes that improved quality of life.

Right now, it’s being in a position where I can shape the future of the workforce.

What challenges can pharmacists face in their role?

The role is changing so quickly and with this brings great opportunity, not only for the profession, but in the way patients and the public receive care. However, the challenge is being able to test and flex new roles, evidence their impact on care, and spread innovation into service. It is very pleasing to see pharmacists integrating into general practice, urgent and emergency care and other healthcare settings. Working on the frontline can be challenging and pharmacists need to be able to build resilience and manage their wellbeing.

What advice would you give to a young person starting out in pharmacy? ‘Fit’ is a two-way process – it’s not just about an organisation or business wanting you. They need to reflect your values and want to benefit from your key attributes. So, get a feel for the place, visit if you can, meet staff and ask questions to see how well the leaders engage with their staff.

Push yourself out of your comfortable space to learn and grow, but ensure you are supported to do so, and the opportunity is right. You might need to take a risk.

INSIGHT

What do you think are the key reasons people should consider a career in pharmacy?

Intellectually stimulating During study and post-qualification, pharmacists are able to engage with science in an intellectual and practical way, with the subject providing ample opportunities for both scientific and healthcare exploration. Pharmacy professionals require excellent communication and interpersonal skills and work as part of a MDT to ensure that patients and caregivers receive care that is empathetic, and personcentred. They also work with other HCPs to deliver evidence-based care to our populations, supporting people to live long and healthy lives.

Agents of social good A role in pharmacy goes beyond dispensing medicines.

Pharmacists use their expert knowledge of medicines and health to make a positive difference to people’s lives and wellbeing, by providing care in a wide range of settings, often at the heart of communities. They have a role in preventing people from getting sick by supporting people to live healthy lifestyles but also to ensure patients live longer by helping them to get the best outcomes from their medicines.

What are your career ambitions for the future?

I aim to keep inspiring a new generation to choose pharmacy by mentoring on outreach programmes

Rewarding Qualified pharmacists have many career options available to them within community pharmacy, hospitals, mental health services, primary care including in general practice, academia, and the pharmaceutical industry. These roles are highly diverse, giving pharmacists the opportunity to develop a broader skillset in leading teams, managing budgets and change management.

The NHS Long Term Plan elevates the role of pharmacists, evidencing the sustainability of this career option.

into schools. I would also like to continue with my passion to develop highly functioning teams and coaching people to success.

M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 17

A DV ERTO R I A L

EVOLVING THROUGH THE YEAR As 2021 draws to a close, Colin Prentice, Commercial Director at Evolve, reflects on a year in recruitment. WO R D S BY Colin Prentice

Recruitment and Outsourcing Specialists

I Reshape your future Looking to recruit great people?

Seeking a new job?

We'd love to help!

0113 457 0777

recruitment@evolveselection.com www.evolveselection.com

18 | P F- M ED I A .CO.U K

’m sure many of us can’t quite believe we are drawing towards the end of another year. I certainly can’t, as the past few months have flown.

My role with Evolve started in April 2021 and since then it’s been an exciting period of change for the team. How we recruit within our industry has, and still is, changing. Throughout 2021 we have reacted to these changes and are now able to meet client demands more effectively and efficiently. We truly believe our recruitment methodologies have improved in response to the modern market.

We’ve introduced new clients to Evolve and re-engaged with many who were not in a position to recruit due to Covid-19. Many are now bringing on new talent and also thinking outside of the box when it comes to the profiles of people they are now looking for, as well as the processes they use to hire those individuals. In respect to all of this, Evolve has been able to respond. Since around May, we have begun to see an increase in vacancy numbers, with clients showing the optimism to recruit and candidates having more confidence to make a career move.

TYPES OF VACANCIES

From candidate and client perspectives, the industry was keen to know the types of vacancies that would be released as we emerged from the pandemic.

What we saw was a rapid return from a Medtech perspective, which continues.

Sales and clinical positions in this sector gained momentum quickly as well as the medical, pharmacovigilance and regulatory sectors of the market. In contrast, pharma commercial was more cautious with a slower rise in vacancy numbers as pharma

assessed what would be the best approach in a changed market. Recruitment of ‘hybrid’ representatives has, of course, become more commonplace. We continue to work closely with our clients and candidates to support them in helping to identify the skills and how to assess for them in a changed sector. From an outsourced perspective, Evolve has engaged with our clients to help them build remote-based and ‘hybrid’ sales teams to help support the traditional field-based sales force.

VIRTUAL RECRUITMENT PROCESSES

In many cases, clients are still opting for virtual ways of recruiting via the familiar platforms that are now a major part of the recruitment process. We have been assisting both clients and candidates to adapt to new recruitment methodologies. My opinion is that virtual recruitment processes are here to stay, in combination with the traditional face-to-face methods. As the technology to do this continues to progress, we have embraced this methodology.

As we move towards the end of the year, my advice for everyone just now is don’t delay! Vacancies and candidates come and go very quickly in this modern market so it’s key for both clients and candidates to respond at speed or risk losing out on that opportunity.

Evolve can support permanent, CSO and virtual recruitment solutions and has the capacity to respond to all requirements promptly for you.

I want to thank all of our customers and candidates who have engaged with us in 2021 and look forward to developing this again across 2022.

To discuss you career or vacancies with us, please call 0113 457 077 or contact support@evolveselection.com

Want to know more about Evolve? Head over to www.pf-media.co.uk to watch our exclusive video with Andy Anderson, Recruitment Director.

INSIGHT

The future of science What are young people’s attitudes to science and medical careers?

WORDS BY Emma

Cooper

E

arlier in the year, the UK Government announced its ambition to transform the UK into a life sciences superpower, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson launching The Office for Science and Technology Strategy. However, there is a shortage of necessary Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills in the UK, which has been estimated to cost businesses £1.5bn per year in terms of recruitment, temporary staffing, inflated salaries and additional training costs.

Recent research commissioned by Ipsen, in collaboration with New Scientist, aimed to understand young peoples’ (aged 7–21 years old) current perceptions of careers in science.

FINDINGS The survey found that 41% of the young people said that the pandemic has increased their interest in science and medical careers, and 5 in 6 respondents said they would consider a career in these areas.

However, the research also unearthed a number of perceived barriers that might prevent young people from pursuing a future in science: • Two in five (40%) young people felt science and medicine related jobs are not equally accessible to people from all ethnic backgrounds and genders.

This belief increased with age, rising to over half of 16- to 21-year-olds (51%).

• 35% of 16- to 21-year-olds said they have not had a conversation about university courses or career options in medical and life sciences at school.

• 17% of young people were put off a career in science because they don’t trust the pharmaceutical industry.

Commenting on the results, John Chaddock, VP Head of REED Operations at Ipsen and Site Head Ipsen Milton Park, said: “Whilst it is encouraging to learn that the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted more young people to consider a career in science, it is worrying that gender and ethnicity present potential barriers. It is imperative we heed the issues highlighted by this research and work collectively with peers in both government and the life sciences industry to address them in order to ensure the UK remains at the cutting edge of scientific research.”

Andrew Croydon, Skills & Education Policy and Examinations Director at The

Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), adds: “How we nurture the next generation of scientists will be central to the discovery of the next generation of medicines and treatments. This research shines a light on how the incredible scientific response to Covid-19 has inspired young people to consider careers in science and medicine. We’ve got to capitalise on this opportunity, and ensure more young people are supported to consider higher education in STEM subjects and into careers within the sector.”

Ajay Sharman, Regional Network Lead, STEM Learning said: “The world has

41%

5 in 6

40% 50%

35%

17%

changed as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, but perhaps one shining light has been the media’s shifting view of science. Some scientists have become celebrities; Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, one of the architects of the Oxford vaccine, has become a household name. We have new, positive role models for science that children can grow up with. It is important we preserve this celebratory status while simultaneously highlighting and championing our fabulous everyday role models (STEM Ambassadors) who inspire the next generation in schools.”

M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 19

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from BUSINESS DIRECTOR to MEDICAL DIRECTOR INTERVIEW BY Emma

Cooper

How did you begin your career in the pharmaceutical industry? I joined the industry straight after graduating from my Ph.D. in a field sales role working for Servier. I had decided I wanted to get into the industry as I was fascinated by some of the medicinal chemistry modules I had taken in my degree, as well as some of the research that was going on in the chemistry department in Nottingham at the time. I was also motivated on a personal level to give something back to an industry that had contributed to my own health, after I had been successfully treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma during my undergraduate studies.

What prompted your recent career change? I have spent 20 years (12 of them with Merck) working on the commercial side of the business in sales, marketing and leadership roles.

Throughout this time I have always been passionate about science and research, and I have always been driven by doing the right things to improve patient health and wellbeing. These are not only important to me on a personal level, but they are also at the very core of what the medical team brings to the business.

22 | P F- M ED I A .CO.U K

Stuart Hill, previously Business Unit Director for Oncology at Merck, was recently promoted to Medical Director for the UK and Ireland.

Here, he talks to Pf about his career transition.

So, for me, it was an easy decision and a logical career step, but I realise it is not one that many people take after so long in the commercial business. I know I’m fortunate to work for a progressive company like Merck, which encourages its employees to broaden their experience and stretch their comfort zones.

What does a typical day look like for you?

As Medical Director, no two days are ever the same, which to me is one of the most exciting things about the job. Every day is a learning opportunity, with a chance to experience something new. I enjoy a challenge and whether it is new science, customer meetings, managing a large team of people or – as I’m doing right now – learning a lot of internal processes and meeting new colleagues. I love to listen, to understand and learn.

What is the best piece of career advice you have received? Don’t try and copy others – be authentic, be yourself. As a leader, you can’t make people follow you, but you can show them who you are, what you stand for and why. If you are real and your authenticity resonates with others, people listen and take note.

What advice would you give to a young person thinking about entering the pharmaceutical industry? I think it is a great place to be and probably one of the most exciting times to be joining the industry. Looking at the challenge that the pandemic has posed and how industry has responded by working with governments, hospitals, researchers, regulators, production and distribution companies to develop, manufacture and deliver the vaccines that seem to offer the way out of the situation is just astounding.

It shows that when we all pull in an aligned direction, we can achieve amazing things.

Never has the industry’s reputation been so high and we can be rightly proud of what we have delivered.

When lockdown first hit, I don’t mind admitting that I struggled at times

CAREER CASE STUDIES

As Medical Director, no two days are ever the same, which to me is one of the most exciting things about the job

How do you manage a work/life balance?

It’s a good question and one that I have seriously struggled with at points in my career. Sometimes I tend to get drawn into certain projects too much and I find it difficult to switch off. When lockdown first hit, I don’t mind admitting that I struggled at times.

I was already deeply entrenched in some difficult and complex commercial negotiations and it was made worse by the fact that my work had moved into my home – something I had always tried to avoid. I try to delineate between home and work by allowing space in my diary for downtime. When I’m working from home, I like to get out for a walk every day as the fresh air and exercise keep me in a good frame of mind. I also find that taking some of my work calls when I am out walking helps me gain a fresh perspective and mixes the day up – particularly during some of the more challenging times of the pandemic.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I can’t tell you what job I will be in, but I can tell you it will involve putting science and patients at the centre of everything I do. I think if we all have the philosophy of being led by science to improve patients’ lives then we can all continue to make a huge contribution to society.

M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 2 3

Meet the

MANAGER Bayer’s Gulfam Wali, winner of the Outstanding Management Award Pf Awards 2021 on his passion for leadership and how managing a team through such a tough time has inspired him.

INTERVIEW BY Emma

Congratulations on your Pf Awards win. How did you feel when your name was announced? It was amazing.

Reaching the finals was a great honour and winning was just an unbelievable feeling, especially with the year we have all just been through. The win was not just for me but one for ‘Team Bayer’.

What is it about your management style that you feel led to you winning a Pf Award? Ultimately, I always strive to do the best I can. As a manager, I am in a privileged position of leadership, which I believe brings with it an opportunity and a duty to develop, empower and impact our teams in different ways. I believe being authentic in your approach is the best way forward to bring out the best in your team and create a culture that breeds success, even during the most difficult and challenging of times.

As a manager, how has the pandemic changed the way you led your team?

The pandemic has undoubtedly been a challenging time for all leaders.

It has required decisive action and honest communication to allow my team to be agile in our approach to embracing new ways of working.

This is how we have truly delivered support to our customers and continued to help patients during such a challenging time. Acting with urgency and communicating with transparency have been essential to my role, as well as ensuring my team’s wellbeing stays at the forefront of everything we do. Keeping them involved in conversations, updating them with decisions and considering them

2 4 | P F- M ED I A .CO.U K

Cooper

P F AWA R D S

at every step has meant that they felt able to embrace the new digital ways of working and continue to deliver exceptionally high-quality support to our customers.

achieve your goals. I think it is also feeling that you are making a difference each day and empowering yourself and the team to continuously develop.

How do you motivate and support your team? My main priority is to support and foster collaboration within my team.

Encouraging ideas, suggestions and individual contributions not only gives confidence and boosts morale, but it also drives an innovative culture and a forwardthinking approach. I believe an inclusive and diverse team culture is essential in helping the team to align and set goals for the future. Individually, supporting the development of my team members is key to driving motivation, satisfaction and a feeling of support within the team.

Where would you like your career to go from here? I would like to continue to develop and contribute the best I can in my role, to help others achieve the aspirations that I once had around leadership. A big part of this includes sharing my experiences with others and continually learning from other great leaders within my organisation, as well as the wider industry. This is why the Pf Awards does such a fantastic job of showcasing the best and the brightest of the pharmaceutical industry.

How do you define success? Success is doing your best and believing you can

How do you achieve a work/life balance?

It’s always important to try and keep a good work/life balance and I feel very lucky to have a lot of interests outside of work that

help me achieve that. I think throughout the pandemic, when people have been working from home, it hasn’t been easy to switch off as you normally would when you are in the office or face-to-face out in the field. More than ever before, as a leader, it is important to encourage your team to find that balance and think about what works for them so that they can be their best selves in their work.

For someone hoping to progress into a role like yours, what advice would you give them? Always believe in yourself! Take feedback on board and work to develop yourself in the areas that you may not feel strongest – this has been vital in my journey up to management.

The support of my colleagues has been invaluable, so listen to those around you and take what they say to flourish into the kind of manager you want to be.

Acting with urgency and communicating with transparency have been essential to my role, as well as ensuring my team’s wellbeing stays at the forefront of everything we do

M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 2 5

Future proofing skills As pharma employees start returning to the workplace, David Reilly examines key learnings from in-house educators and reflects on how pharma can re-augment staff skills for the future digitally enabled customer experience.

I

magine a seminal crisis that forces your workforce to shift overnight to working from home and adapt to a suite of new unfamiliar digital tools, whilst grappling with the realisation that face-to-face communications with your key healthcare professionals (HCP) customers would now be 100% remote.

These are just a few of the immediate challenges that in-house training departments faced last February at the start of the pandemic. Even before the pandemic struck the world, the drive for both pharma and global public health services to make better use of digital technology was already being felt across all departments. Covid-19 was arguably the key accelerant to justify and accelerate this process.

As evidence of this change at the start of the pandemic, the former UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock declared that GPs should see patients remotely by default, prompting a transformational leap to virtual GP appointments from 25% to 71% of all GP appointments. Other digital engagements have also demonstrated explosive growth during the last 18 months. In December 2019, the relatively new NHS app was being used by 192,676 people and by December 2020 this figure had increased by 912% to 1,951,640. Fast forward to September 2021, the NHS app now has 16 million signed up users and is continuing to grow. Digital technology is undoubtedly a key enabler but how have in-house trainers continued to equip their staff in response to this shift?

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T H E R IG H T T O OL S The immediate challenge at the beginning of the pandemic was to equip staff at speed with the right digital tools to help them stay connected, productive and to continue their digital learning journey with minimal disruption. The deployment of these new tools included chat and messaging apps such as Slack and video conferencing apps such as Zoom, Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams which are now embedded into our daily working lives.

Nina Bressler Murphy, Global Head of Enterprise Capability at Novartis Learning Institute, explains this deployment challenge: “Our Microsoft Teams deployment to support training was reduced from two years to a weekend when it rolled out to 60,000 people over the course of a weekend at the start of pandemic.

This is now our main learning tool for delivering live learning events.”

Switching to remote tools like Teams had some unexpectedly positive consequences, observed by Bressler Murphy: “As part of our leadership program, we saw a change in some of our leaders’ behaviour; much more openness and vulnerability which really helped support their growth and the leadership training program’s efficacy and engagement.”

In addition, the Teams deployment inspired some of the quieter personalities to really speak out in training, with Bressler Murphy adding: “We saw improved collaboration with the more introverted personality types.

They really came out of their shells using Miro and Microsoft Teams.”

WORDS BY David

Reilly

INSIGHT

DE L I V E R I NG I M PAC T Another consequence of the pandemic was pharma companies switching the training delivery formats to smaller groups of learning modules, with the option of on-demand rather than traditional whole days – much more cost effective and impactful. This strategy has worked well for Bayer, as explained by in-house Digital Transformation Manager Carole Clarke: “We adapted our training into small 90-minute modules which we found has hit the sweet spot. Learning now is very much about sharing experiences, being meaningful and very relevant to the learners’ day-to-day jobs. A more agile and on demand approach to learning gave more choice in how Bayer employees engaged with learning during the pandemic, creating a ‘culture of self-development’ and future proofing our skills set for 2022 and beyond.”

Some pharma companies used the opportunity to empower staff members not just in sales, marketing and commercial effectiveness but also compliance, medical, legal and IT in the vital importance of mindset. On the commercial side, this empowered those working in sales to be more comfortable with flexible communications and savvier with virtual communications, as the reliance of faceto-face meetings declined overnight.

Remote interactions has meant far greater

Digital technology is undoubtedly a key enabler but how have in-house trainers continued to equip their staff in response to this shift?

immediate flexible conversations with HCPs, without the need to just rely on meetings that during the pandemic often interrupted a HCP’s already demanding day. This is where mindset and change training has been such a vital learning experience during the pandemic.

Maintaining staff training programs and empowering them with new skills has not only been well received internally but also externally by HCPs themselves. An Accenture survey 1 of 120 participants from USA, UK, France, Germany, China & Japan found that a majority of HCPs (82%) think pharma companies have increased the value of what they communicate during the last 18 months, delivering not just product information, but also

support that meets pressing needs, such as education on how to better treat patients remotely and increasing their overall relevance.

THE FUTURE It is clear that pharma companies and inhouse training departments have adapted very well and have integrated the remote engagement needed to support all business departments in this time of crisis – at speed and under considerable pressure.

The key in the future will be to maintain the new flexible approach and use agile mindset approaches to empower pharma professionals to test and make the best use of a new suite of digital applications such as AI, virtual reality and augmented reality.

David Reilly is Founder of digital training company Let’s Learn Digital.

Reference 1. https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/ PDF-130/Accenture-HCP-Survey-v4.pdf

Want to hear more from David Reilly? Visit www.pf-media.co.uk to find out what he will be talking about as our new regular columnist.

M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 27

A DV ERTO R I A L

FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN 2022 As the curtain drops on another remarkable 12 months, what are the four critical challenges that industry needs to prepare for in 2022? WO R D S BY Oli Hudson

Your territories are shifting Develop intelligence-driven customer segmentation and resource optimisation strategies

1. NEW STRUCTURES

Undoubtedly, 2021 was the year in which hypothetical changes became physical reality. There are now 42 integrated care systems (ICSs) in operation, all of which are slowly devouring the 200-plus clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and building high-powered executive leadership teams responsible for their multi-billion pound budgets.

Beneath them, there is also a fastmaturing landscape of provider collaboratives (at ‘place’ level) and primary care networks (at ‘neighbourhood’ level), all stitched together with a detailed patchwork of governance.

Whether these changes achieve the aim of reducing bureaucracy and delivering more joined-up care remains to be seen, but pharmaceutical companies will need a strong handle on how the reforms are manifesting themselves locally to ensure they connect with the right people in the right context.

2. NEW PHILOSOPHIES

Find out more at: wilmingtonhealthcare.com /commercial-optimisation

NHS reform will inevitably change the mindset of senior clinicians and managers too. The shift from a tariff-based funding approach to a blended contract with a single ICS level pot of money should focus attention on achieving the best population level outcomes for the money available.

This brings challenges for industry – they will need to demonstrate that a given product is not only effective but the most appropriate and cost-effective treatment at a particular point in a care pathway, for instance. But it will also provide opportunities to contribute to a more preventative and outcomes-driven approach to planning services.

3. NEW FUNDING MODELS

There will be significant changes to market access as well. With CCGs slowly folding into ICSs at system level, the area prescribing committees (APCs) mapped against them will need to be replaced. There will

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also be independent decision-making at place level by clinical networks affiliated to provider collaboratives, and understanding the relationship between these formularies will be crucial for shaping engagement and market access strategies.

Added to this are important developments in national drugs funding policy.

Responsibility for specialised commissioning is being gradually taken over by ICSs, creating regional differences in medicines funding – while a new Innovative Medicines Fund will fund new drug treatments that can’t be supported at ICS level. Pharma will therefore see a familiar funding landscape change dramatically over the coming months.

4. NEW REALITIES

Finally, industry must grapple with the ‘new normal’ for the NHS. The legacy of the pandemic has exacerbated access and capacity issues and the focus on elective recovery will be fierce. This means access to senior healthcare professionals will be a scarce commodity, requiring an ever more intelligent, digitally-enabled engagement approach.

Yet there will be opportunities as well – a chance for industry to use their data, their resources and capabilities, and their energy and imagination to help the NHS reimagine care pathways, unlock capacity and reach out to the many thousands of ‘missing patients’ lost during the pandemic. This is a time for bold ideas and big conversations.

OFFERING SUPPORT

In short, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has talked about this being a year of “reform and recovery.” Few would deny it will be a year of real challenge too. But by applying its intelligence and reach across these four critical areas, industry can adapt to a rapidly changing market, and support the many miracles the NHS will need to perform in 2022. Oli Hudson is Content Director at Wilmington Healthcare.

For more information, please visit wilmingtonhealthcare.com.

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M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 2 9

Movers &Shakers WHO’S ON THE MOVE IN THE INDUSTRY?

WORDS BY

Emma Cooper

CONSULTANCY

Boyds Boyds has strengthened its clinical operations offering with the appointment of Pippa Bjaaland as a Senior Clinical Research Associate (CRA), as part of an ongoing recruitment drive to grow in-house CRA expertise. Pippa brings more than five years’ industry experience in clinical operations and joins Boyds from Syneos Health where she was a Senior CRA working on Phase II-

IV studies, primarily in oncology.

Prior to this, she worked as an in-house CRA at PRA Health Sciences. Dr Karen O’Hanlon, Boyds’ Vice President of Clinical Operations, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Pippa to Boyds. Her in-depth knowledge of the CRA role alongside her considerable expertise in running oncology studies will be a huge asset to both our clients and the Boyds team.”

PHARMA

Véronique Walsh Gilead Sciences has appointed Véronique Walsh as General Manager of its UK and Ireland operations. Walsh joins Gilead from Bristol Myers-Squibb (BMS), where she spent the past two years as General Manager for Benelux. Véronique began her career as a General Practitioner with a speciality in toxicology and is passionate about bringing science and innovation to patients.

At Gilead, she will manage a portfolio of products spanning HIV, Hepatitis, Oncology and Covid-19.

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PHARMA

Dr Niels Plath Dr Niels Plath has joined Muna Therapeutics as Chief Scientific Officer. A molecular biologist and neuroscientist with more than 15 years of experience in academia and biopharma,

he was previously the acting Head of Global Research at Lundbeck, leading drug discovery and development for neurologic and psychiatric diseases. Prior to this role, Dr. Plath was Vice

President for Neuroscience, leading teams that brought several drug candidates into clinical development, including alpha-synuclein and tau targeting antibodies, idalopirdine and nalmefene.

AGENCY

Triducive Triducive has boosted its team by appointing two new starters. Bethan James joins as Associate Operations Lead, providing support to improving business operations and systems to enhance the client experience. Thomas Scoble joins as an experienced medical writer who has expertise in supporting global brand communications in the areas of surgery, cardiovascular and general medicine markets. He is also an experienced scientific proof-reader and editor, following an academic background with an applied bioscience master’s qualification.

TECHNOLOGY

Gary Lynch Powder containment and aseptic processing specialist, ChargePoint Technology, has appointed Gary Lynch as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Gary’s appointment will see him drive the future growth of the company, managing and further improving operations to enhance efficiency.

Gary joins ChargePoint Technolaogy from Harvard Technology, a lighting solutions manufacturer, where he acted as CEO for the company.

HEALTHCARE

Rebekah Cresswell

Mental health and specialist residential adult care service, Priory, has appointed Rebekah Cresswell as its new UK Chief Executive, following the merger of Priory and MEDIAN. Rebekah is Priory’s first female CEO, taking over UK responsibilities from Dr. André Schmidt. Before joining Priory, Rebekah held senior posts across the NHS including Head of Governance & Quality Improvement at NHS Stockport and then as Assistant Director of Clinical Quality & Patient Safety at NHS Northwest Strategic Health Authority.

HEALTHCARE

CONSULTANCY

Charlotte Hilton

Prof. Amit Bar-Or

Koa Health has announced that Charlotte Hilton joins the company’s growing team as UK Commercial Director and will oversee all commercial efforts in the UK from sales and marketing to client success and partnerships. Charlotte most recently served as Healthcare and B2B Partnerships Manager at Headspace, where she led the development and management of the international team’s Enterprise partner channel strategy.

Genoskin has announced the appointment of Dr Nicolas Gaudenzio as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO).

Nicolas will structure and lead Genoskin’s existing R&D team in immunology and data-oriented innovations, supporting the development of new offers and establishing the company’s long-term scientific strategy. His work has, in particular, contributed substantially to identifying molecular and cellular targets involved in allergic and nonallergic inflammation.

PHARMA

Tom Graney

Mogrify has announced the appointment of Tom Graney CFA as Non-Executive Director, Audit Chair and Capital Markets Advisor.

Tom joins senior biopharma industry executives, Dr. Jane Osbourn OBE (Chair) and Dr. Lorenz Mayr, as an independent member of the Board of Directors.

M AG A ZI N E | W I N T ER 202 1 | 31

Pharma job seeking in

2021

As the year draws to a close, PharmaJobs reviews the most popular jobs, vacancies and therapy areas.

MOST VIEWED JOB CATEGORIES 1 2 3 4 5

Key Account Manager Pharmaceuticals Sales Representative Marketing Pharmacist

6 7 8 9 10

1 3 4 5

Medical Sales Representative eDetailing Head of Sales Medical Writer Territory Business Manager

6 7 8 9 10

Clinical Research Account Manager Market Access Business Development Manager Medical Scientific Liaison

Dental Territory Manager Graduate Pharmaceutical Sales Graduate Pharmaceutical Analyst Regional Business Manager Medical Scientific Liaison Manager

TOP VACANCIES BY VOLUME OF POSTING 1 2 3 4 5

Manager Account Manager Sales Medical Science Liaison Director

6 7 8 9 10

Morriss

TOP THERAPY AREAS (BY JOB VIEWS)

MOST VIEWED JOBS

2

WORDS BY Emma

Business Manager Primary Care Market Access Territory Manager Secondary Care

1. Oncology 2. Respiratory 3. Primary care 4. Diabetes 5. Urology 6. Cardiovascular 7. Ophthalmology 8. Women’s Health 9. Dermatology 10. Covid

TOP JOBSEEKER LOCATION BY CITY TOP CAREERS ADVICE

The Future of the Pharma Field Force Career Advice from Top Pharma Professionals Professionals

1 2 3 4 5

London Birmingham Manchester Glasgow Cardiff

4

3

Pharma e-Detailing Explained Read these articles and more at pharmajobs.co.uk/career-advice Data sourced from www.pharmajobs.co.uk, October 2021

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2

5

1

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