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May 7, 2015
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June 23, 2015
Evolution founder and Managing Director Dr. Jason Beckwith was recently featured on monthly Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News column JobWatch. Dr. Beckwith offered GEN an insight into the hiring practices of BioPharma companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, highlighting the impact of newer therapies (immune-oncology, gene therapy, monoclonal antibodies) on the job market.
From the article:
Glasgow-based Evolution Global Talent Attraction analyzed hiring practices of biopharmas in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The firm found that newer therapies—including immuno-oncology and gene therapy—led to increased talent attraction activity at a compound annual growth rate of 11% over the last two years.
That growth was seen within R&D. Activity focused on monoclonal antibodies and vaccines saw 41% growth, as development shifts from lower-value recombinant proteins. Single-digit growth was seen in hiring for positions focused on antisense, cell therapy, gene therapy, and recombinant protein development. The number of clinical trials rose 11% per year over five years, with 304 ongoing in Europe as of December.
“Given that the growth is positive and consistent, we would estimate that in terms of volume requirement, the market is likely to continue at this rate for the foreseeable future—the next five years, leading to associated increased hires,” Jason Beckwith, Ph.D. MBA, managing director with Evolution, told GEN.
“Ultimately, the driver is the fact that from preclinical development to market, biologics have been shown to be as twice as likely to succeed relative to small molecule development.”
He said the results are also relevant for the U.S., where Evolution sees nearly identical recruitment trends compared with EMEA in hiring frequency (the U.S. is typically 2-5% higher) and recruitment trends.
Companies are especially interested, Dr. Beckwith said, in hiring multiskilled personnel from large biotech, CMOs & tool/service providers. Protein expression, assay development, and upstream/downstream expertise remain at a premium.
“We are seeing evidence of talent adaptation as the industry, largely driven by CMOs, implements innovations that enable low cost biomanufacturing without sacrificing quality—i.e., development of flexible factories, therefore flexible talent, and single-use technology,” Dr. Beckwith said.
Read the full article here.
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