50 Jobs to Go at Pharmaceutical Firm

EMOTIONS are running high at a pharmaceutical company after staff were told that 50 roles will be made redundant.

It comes 10 months after workers at Catalent in Frankland Road, Blagrove Industrial Estate, were told that 275 staff were to be laid off during the next two years.

At the time, bosses at the business said they wanted to wind down the factory.

Unite union representative Hugh Kirkbride has blamed under investment for the job losses.

He said last year: “The Swindon workforce have been using uneconomical machines – some of which are 40 years old.

“It’s only the skill of the workforce that meant they could produce complicated products.

“Investment has not been forthcoming in the last 10 to 15 years. It has been stifled at board level.”

In the latest cuts, workers say they are only being offered the minimum legal redundancy payout.

One worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said people with years of service would leave with only a couple of hundred pounds.

“They are trying to give us the Government minimum redundancy even though we got into this position by upping our productivity and getting rid of all our backlog,” said the employee.

“It is disgusting how they are treating us.”

In 2008, the company – which was known as Cardinal Health – announced that it would be introducing a new production line, creating 40 new jobs. The company employs 900 people in Swindon and produces more than a billion tablets a year.

Patricia McGee, director of communications at Catalent, who is based in America, said: “I can confirm that we did make an announcement two weeks ago that because of a shift in demand we are making 50 posts redundant.

“This is just at a preliminary stage but we wanted to let staff know as soon as possible. This is in addition to the 200 plus posts that we announced would go earlier as they are in another department. The Swindon site continues to be an important part of our global business.”

New pharmaceutical plant in northeastern Bulgaria will create jobs for highly skilled and paid specialists

The new biotechnological and pharmaceutical plant in the northeastern Bulgarian town of Razgrad will create jobs for highly skilled and highly paid specialists, Kiril Domuschiev, the chairman of the Biovet AD Supervisory Board and executive director of Huvepharma AD, which is the main shareholder in Biovet AD, says in an interview with FOCUS News Agency.

The planned investment is worth EUR 25 million for 12 months. He says the plant will offer jobs for chemists, biologists, pharmacists, engineers, as well as IT specialists because it will be highly automated

Wacancy : Pharmaceutical QA Officer

• Initial 3-4 month contract
• Multinational company
• Competitive Salary

It is a Sydney based dynamic and innovative pharmaceutical company, is looking for a Quality Assurance Officer to join their team. This position requires an individual with experience in a manufacturing environment and your duties will include:

• Reviewing of batch records and release for sale documentation
• Technical transfer of products to third party manufacturers
• GMP auditing of TPM documentation

You must be degree qualified in Chemistry, or a related field, and will have prior Quality Assurance experience in the pharmaceutical industry. You will be required to interact with all employees within the organisation, and as such, exceptional communication skills are required. To be successful in this position, your knowledge of quality systems and GMP will be extensive and your attention to detail should be exceptional. Experience working in a solid dose manufacturing environment would be advantageous. This position is available for an immediate start.

To submit your application in strict confidence, please apply online using the appropriate link below. Alternatively, please contact Melanie Dunn on 02 9432 3333 quoting reference code TSNSW44597.

Sanofi to Eliminate 25 Percent of U.S. Pharmaceutical Workforce

Sanofi Aventis SA, the French company attempting a hostile takeover of Genzyme Corp., will cut 1,700 U.S. pharmaceutical jobs, or 25 percent of its American drug operations, to prepare for acquisitions and patent expirations.

The job cuts are part of a 2 billion euro ($2.8 billion) cost-reduction plan announced in July 2009, said Jack Cox, a spokesman for Paris-based Sanofi, in a telephone interview today. About 1,400 sales positions will be cut, as well as 300 jobs at company offices in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Cox said.

Products accounting for a quarter of Sanofi’s annual revenue will lose patent protection by 2013. The company is narrowing its business to three areas -- diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and cancer -- and is seeking partnerships and acquisitions to replace lost revenue. The drugmaker on Oct. 4 announced a tender offer of $69-a-share, or $18.5 billion, for Genzyme, the maker of medicine for rare genetic disorders.

“This is beyond just the patent losses,” Cox said in a telephone interview. “That’s a large driver, but it’s also restructuring the overall organization to prepare for a different future for this company.”

Sanofi fell 8.5 cents, or 0.2 percent to 48.96 euros in Paris trading today, after declining 11 percent this year.

The company has about 13,000 employees in the U.S., including 6,900 in its pharmaceutical operations unit, where the cuts were made today. Additional reductions won’t be necessary through 2013, “barring unforeseen events,” Cox said.

‘What We Expected’

“It’s what we expected the company to do,” said Jeffrey Holford of Jeffries International Ltd. in London, who has a buy rating on the stock. “It’s reassuring.”

By 2013, Sanofi faces competition from cheaper generic copies for more than six top-selling products, including Lovenox and Plavix to prevent blood clots and Eloxatin for colon cancer. Those three drugs alone accounted for more than $9.2 billion in sales last year.

“If you’re going to lose that many new drugs, then you have to lose people,” said Gbola Amusa, an analyst with UBS in London, who has a neutral rating on the stock. Amusa said he doesn’t consider the layoffs related to the battle to acquire Genzyme.

Sanofi announced its tender offer for Genzyme after the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company spurned its bid as too low and refused to negotiate. Genzyme urged shareholders to reject the offer yesterday, in a regulatory filing. Sanofi’s offer expires Dec. 10.

Biggest Takeover

The Genzyme deal would be the biggest hostile takeover in the drug industry since the $64 billion transaction that created Sanofi-Aventis in 2004, according to Bloomberg data. Sanofi has announced 35 acquisitions in the past five years, with an average size of $1.6 billion and an average premium of 15 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Any costs related to today’s announcement will be reported at the end of this year, Cox said. The company hasn’t yet determined those costs, he said.

160 Jobs Lost At Cork Pharmaceutical Plant

It is been announced that 160 jobs have been lost at the Schering Plough pharmaceutical plant in west Cork.

Staff at the plant, which employs 519 people at Brinny in Innishannon, were informed of the layoffs at lunchtime today. Schering Plough says it hopes the redundancies will be voluntary.

The announcement has been described as “a massive blow to the workers and to the local economy” by local Senator Michael McCarthy.

He added: “As a former worker in the plant myself, my thoughts today are with my former colleagues and their families who now face a period of such uncertainty. This area has lost many jobs in recent years in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors, and these job losses are the last thing that local communities need. Losses of this scale in this sector would indicate that the government strategy of developing and supporting employment is now in disarray.”

Pharmaceutical company officer gets Buffalo Grove home

Biju Kurup and Mini Kurup bought a three-bath home at 907 Highland Grove Drive in Buffalo Grove for $395,000 from Joshua A. and Claire Abrams on July 6.

The Abrams paid $455,000 for the property in Oct. 2004. The 2,040-square-foot house was built in 1986 in the Buffalo Grove Central neighborhood.

Biju Kurup is a BW manager at Hospira Inc., a pharmaceutical and medication delivery company.

He previously worked with G&K Services as BW team lead.

He attended the University of Kerala and Harvard Business School.

There were 286 home sales in Buffalo Grove in 2008, with a median sales price of $319,000.

The American Academy of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Hires Environics Communications to Provide PR for Annual Meeting

WASHINGTON-The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) hired Environics Communications to conduct public relations and media outreach for 2009 AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition November 8-12, 2009 in Los Angeles.

AAPS is an international scientific society with approximately 12,000 members in academia, industry, government and other research organizations. The association is a global leader in the open exchange of scientific knowledge related to pharmaceutical research and development to improve healthcare for the world’s population.

The 2009 AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition is the organization’s premiere event, attracting an international audience of approximately 7,500 individuals from the field of pharmaceutical research. Environics PR support will include assisting AAPS staff with reviewing scientific abstracts and the association’s overall messaging to develop communications strategy and tactics for the meeting. These tactics are likely to include development of media materials; spokesperson preparation; outreach to trade and consumer media outlets domestically and internationally; and on-site PR support.

“Environics demonstrated an in-depth understanding of both the science and business sides of pharmaceutical research and development, extensive experience in healthcare communications and a strong track record of generating media coverage from complex scientific papers,” said Stacey May, director of public outreach for AAPS. “With the global focus on healthcare, now more than ever it is urgent that the pharmaceutical research community be heard, understood and appreciated. Environics’ PR support will help AAPS accomplish this goal within the industry and the general public at large.”

“Pharmaceutical scientists play a vital role in the discovery and development of innovative drugs that save lives and improve the quality of life for countless individuals worldwide,” said Rosalind D’Eugenio, a senior vice president at Environics and leader of the agency’s U.S. health sciences practice. “We look forward to implementing a PR program for AAPS that helps them maintain and expand their leadership position within the global health, medical and scientific communities through outreach to both traditional and social media.”

Immediate Pharmaceutical Services in Avon Lake may add 200 new jobs

AVON LAKE - State and local officials hope to encourage an Avon Lake mail-order pharmacy to go ahead with a $5 million expansion that would add 200 jobs over three years.

Government agencies are preparing to offer tax and other incentives worth "something less than $2 million" to Immediate Pharmaceutical Services, said Michael Stanek, an Avon Lake at-large councilman.

The package would include $98,000 in income-tax rebates from the Lorain County city to secure the expansion, said K.C. Zuber, the city's mayor, who said he did not know exactly how much the state might contribute.

Zuber received word from Ohio officials in early June that IPS, as the company is known, could increase its presence in the city if the company received an expected contract to handle prescription services for some state employees. But at least one other community was competing for the proposed larger operations.

"A city in Alabama also bid on getting IPS to move there," Stanek said. As often happens when companies announce possible expansion plans, state and local governments began battling over which locale could provide the most incentives.

IPS formerly was a unit of Medina-based Discount Drug Mart, which sold the pharmacy-benefit manager in September. The buyer, PBM HealthExtras, paid $40 million.

Not long after the purchase, HealthExtras chief executive, David Blair, said the Maryland-based company intended to expand the IPS mail-order fulfillment center in Ohio. HealthExtras also operates a retail pharmacy network of more than 60,000 participating drugstores around the country.

Any expansion "would be great for Avon Lake and for Lorain County," Stanek said. Zuber said Stanek and other council members would vote Monday, just before the legislative body's five-week summer break, to authorize that the mayor continue negotiating with IPS. "I'm here to help them with anything they want," he said.

A spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Development said the state has offered an incentive package but would provide no further details about a deal still under discussion. Other sources said the department is scheduled to meet in late July to consider the exact scope of any incentives.

The results Zuber hopes for include these potential benefits for his city:

Jobs would increase from the current 90 to nearly 300 over 36 months.

Average wages at the fulfillment center would be about $21.50 an hour.

The income tax revenue from the additional jobs would, in time, add $134,000 a year to the city's budget.

For the first five years of IPS' expansion, though, the company would benefit from a 20 percent reduction in income taxes, reducing Avon Lake's take by $98,000 over the period.

The Pharmaceutical Representative Manifesto

The word, ‘Manifesto’ is one of Latin origin, and means ‘to make public’. It’s an open statement of standards related to good behavior based on principles related to the intention of the author.

What will follow is not in any way to be interpreted by the reader as being absolute directives or rules you should adopt in order to be successful.

Nor am I, as a veteran ex-big pharmaceutical representative, suggesting the contents are an outline of what is considered an ideal pharmaceutical representative, and what is needed for your own success as you define this as a pharmaceutical representative.

So, these are some simple, yet possibly preferred, ideas I wish to offer to those who are pharmaceutical representatives related to the nature of their vocation, as well as the image of the industry of your employer, and how this can be improved:

Never park your free company car closest to the entrance of a doctor’s office or clinic.

Obviously, both places treat sick people- some worse than others. Aim for the back of the parking lot. Exercise is good for you. Others need that ideal parking space more than you do. Show some consideration.

Upon entering a medical location, such as a doctor’s office, if you happen to notice more than one pharmaceutical representative sitting in what may be a small waiting room, leave immediately and return at another time. Do not be so insistent or persistent that you disrupt those in that waiting room who need to see the doctor much more than you do.

Conversely, a similar suggestion is that if you enter a waiting room of a doctor’s clinic, for example, and there are no other drug representatives at such a location, do not necessarily be in a hurry. There may be only a few patients waiting to be seen by the health care provider.

Consider striking up a conversation with one of these patients as you both wait to see the health care provider. This rarely if ever happens- drug reps having a nice conversation with a patient in such a manner.

You know, they are not Lepers, and you might provide some public relations for the industry that employs you, and certainly for the company that employs you.

Make an effort not to become vexed if you are unable to see one of your targeted prescribers that you desperately feel a need to speak with as dictated by your employer. Do not view yourself to be a complete failure at your vocation if this occurs.

More importantly, if a health care provider accepts your promoted drug samples from you, yet refuses to see or speak with you, you still have accomplished something positive for your employer. The samples in themselves will influence their prescribing habits more than you may realize.

So I suggest you visit such offices, regardless if you see the prescriber or not. You still will or may have a positive effect on what you feel you need to do with your job, which is to increase the market share of your promoted medications.

However, if you have an opportunity to be invited into the medical office to ‘check samples’, which means an opportunity to speak with the health care provider, make an effort to read the environment in this patient treatment area you are a guest in at this time.

For example, are staff members in this patient treatment area moving quickly? Do they appear overwhelmed? Are you not receiving any eye contact or dialogue from such staff members? Does the health care provider seem less than jovial?

If so, do not discuss any business or promoted product issues at such times. The doctor and his or her staff have more concerning tasks at hand than your presence there, likely, if this occurs. Their needs are always more important than your own.

Likely, you will visit this same location again and again that is in your territory assigned to you by your employer. So you will not receive immediate results- both with your business, and your relationships with those in the medical community for which you serve.

As you continue with your career, strive to learn as much as you can about not only the benefits of the medications you promote, but also the disease states for which they treat.

You are, or should be, viewed as somewhat of an expert with both as you interact with others who are clinicians and patient care providers with great knowledge, often, of what I am suggesting to you as a pharmaceutical representative.

So many others in your profession are a bit apathetic regarding any interest with medical issues, and the importance of restoring the health of others. This paradigm is in large part the apex of the profession in which you dialogue with during the course of your day.

Quite frankly, if you have no interest in the importance and complexities involved with medicine or health care, you should consider another job.

Keep in mind the ‘detail pieces’- based on the clinical trials your employer gives you to persuade prescribers in fact often contain data that is largely embellished, incomplete, or completely fabricated. You are not told this because your employer wishes you to believe that your promoted drug is in fact superior, and safe.

Find avenues of information on the drugs you promote from legitimate sources you can easily find on the internet. You should do this not only from a stance of credibility, but for the benefits of patients who may be prescribed your promoted drugs as well.

I can assure you that such authenticity will not ruin your life, and will be appreciated by those who may prescribe the drugs you promote.

Furthermore, and as with so many other pharmaceutical representatives, I’ve read those aggressive and brutally subjective commentaries, if not essays, from other pharmaceutical representatives on the ever so popular Cafepharma website- that great bathroom wall where others express their anger in the written word.

I know your concerns as a pharmaceutical representative, as well as the ridiculous activities you are required to do by your employer at times that either appear or in fact are pointless and absurd, if not unethical and/or illegal.

With this said, I suggest you not be in a constant state of understandable anger or unhappiness as you work during the day visiting those in the medical community.

People, including pharmaceutical representatives, are more transparent that you may realize (psychopaths are an exception). Those in the medical community that you interrupt (and you do) would rather not view you as upset or joyless if you are fortunate enough to visit them at their medical facilities.

Attempt to make yourself in a presentable mood before entering such medical location. Who knows? You might actually make another’s day. Try gently to make medical staff laugh appropriately, for example. This may be more important than the 1000 dollar suit you may be wearing, or the BMW you may be driving.

Also of particular note, and this applies in particular to rather large pharmaceutical corporations, there seems to be a constant theme with their sales forces:

Members of these sales teams are always striving to make a favorable impression for their employer- specifically their manager. This in itself is understandable and not necessarily a bad thing to do in the corporate world to ensure employment security.

Yet do not ever confuse your misperceived creative or innovative acts. Such acts possibly could be unethical if not criminal activities you may engage in upon your own discretion, or upon a recommendation from another employee you work with at your pharmaceutical company.

Yet often, you may be directed to implement such activities by your manager, and those above your manager on the corporate ladder.

It happens often at times, and it is not a good thing for many others, these activities that are simply not the right thing to do.

So I suggest that you learn about laws relevant to your profession as a pharmaceutical representative. There are many, and you are likely not told these legal statutes and acts mandated by lawmakers by your employer at all.

Learn about the terms associated with such laws, such as misbranding, kickbacks, off-label promotion, and disease mongering as well, for example.

Why do pharmaceutical representatives follow at times directions of this nature by their superiors, as uncomfortable as it may be for them at times with some of them?

This happens for two reasons: First, it’s understandable with a pharmaceutical representative that if their superior directs them to implement certain activities related to their employer’s objectives, the directives are appropriate and necessary.

It is also reasonable to conclude that such acts planned deliberately could in fact ethical and legal. So rarely do pharmaceutical representatives ever question what they are told to do by their employers and managers.

For example, do not ever engage in what is called quid pro quo. This is Latin as well, and means, ‘this for that’.

Just because you or those from your employer has bought the staff of a medical office lunch often, or leave the health care providers samples of your promoted products in great amounts, or placed a fancy TV in their medical clinic, since the prescribers in such a clinic are ‘top’ prescribers- these gifts do not mean in any situation that the doctor owes you prescriptions for the medications that you promote to such doctors.

If your sales numbers are down, do not blame the medical professionals in your territory in such a way, and it happens at times. You have no right to remind a prescriber of the inducements that you have provided a particular prescriber.

To be clear, this scenario of potential wrongdoing is possible, yet not always. In summary on this topic, exercise caution on what you may be directed to do by your employer, and your manager. If it is in fact illegal, or potentially illegal, you do not want to do such actions, of course.

Finally, there are certain intrinsic human traits that others rarely discussed or examined, and I believe they should be acknowledged. Examples include qualities such as character, integrity, or kindness- as well as honesty.

I am not suggesting that you consider you adopt such moral and ethical concepts if they are of no importance to you. I'm suggesting these concepts because they appear to be absent from your industry as an entire entity.

What I am suggesting is that you discover the meaning of such words and at least consider the possibility of acquiring such traits within you if they are absent.

At the very least, consider the value of such traits, and this may be for your benefit as you continue through your life span and your career.

Medical doctors for a pharmaceutical career

Novo Nordisk, Bagsværd, Danmark

Novo Nordisk is on the lookout for talented medical doctors with no prior industry experience who want to make a difference for people with diabetes and develop through a medical career in the pharmaceutical industry. The Pharmaceutical Medicine Programme offers you an introduction to the industry by three eight-month rotations in three central areas of Novo Nordisk. After a successful termination of the programme, you will be offered a permanent position in the organisation.

With the Pharmaceutical Medicine Programme, you have the opportunity to build a career as a medical doctor outside the traditional public medical carrier track and to experience many aspects of the industry. During the two years of the programme, you will be introduced to a variety of departments and assignments. Most rotations will take place at our corporate headquarters in Denmark. The programme starts on 1 September 2009.

Insight into drug development, safety surveillance and business life 

The aim of the programme is to develop highly qualified medical doctors with a broad understanding and hands-on experience within various functions of the organisation where medical competences are significantly in use. You will experience different challenging tasks and projects, e.g. within pharmaceutical medicine and existing cross-functional business processes. In the course of your training, you will experience rotations in different areas of the organisation:

Global Development - where focus is on clinical research activities for our compounds

Medical Affairs at International Marketing – with focus on medical communication and product positioning

International Product Safety – where focus is on pharmacovigilance and risk management.

You will be involved in projects, in which you will experience e.g. clinical development planning of a drug candidate, global and local positioning strategies for a marketed drug and medical documentation in a new drug application. Complementary you will increase your knowledge through a broad variety of courses and international scientific congresses. 

MD with minimum 2 years of clinical experience 

You hold a university degree as a medical doctor and have completed a post-graduate internship. Additionally, you have 2-3 years of documented research or clinical experience. You have excellent practical and analytical skills and are capable of working independently while accepting a strong team focus and influence. Further, you are result oriented, good at setting priorities and have a strong personal impact and drive. Lastly, you have excellent English skills, extensive IT knowledge and thrive in an international environment where some travelling should be expected.

Application and contact

For more information on the position, please contact Programme Manager International Medical Director Dr. Birgitte Claudius at bckj@novonordisk.com . Deadline for application is 15 May. [Send your application online. Mark your application “NN44846 Pharmaceutical Medicine Programme” .]