Oncology drug development series - Spotlight on the USA - Hays Viewpoint careers advice blog

Oncology drug development series - Spotlight on the USA - Hays Oncology drug development continues to see a high level of activity and funding across the US, despite an uncertain regulatory environment that has left many Big Pharma companies carefully considering their RD investments and strategies. FDA approvals in 2012 2012 saw a welcome spike in overall drug approvals and specifically an increase in oncology approvals with a total of 19. The trend looks likely to continue in 2013, with three new cancer therapies approved to date. Improved genetic screening, more definitive Phase I trials and a huge need for new, effective treatments have seen speedier approvals. These include Onyx Pharmaceutical Inc.s Kyprolis for multiple myeloma, Roches Zelboraf for melanoma and Pfizers Xalkori. Big Pharma v Generics The question is, where will the majority of these new drugs be coming from in the future? They will not necessarily originatefrom traditional Big Pharma, but from outside, reflecting a bigger trend in the Life Sciences market here in the USA. Generic drugs are big business here, especially as more established drugs are coming out of patent. Professionals with expertise in this area are very much in-demand as the success of oncology approvals and the overall potential market in this field has meant grant funding availability for basic oncology research has stayed relatively high. Future thinking Perhaps it is the embrace of more advanced treatment methods and the infusion of genomics, diagnostics and personalised medicine becoming more prevalent that is leading the way in the US. Certainly, their applications to cancer therapy improvements have been emphasised in industry by key players, including Roche and Seattle Genetics. So, what do these developments mean to our industry? Perhaps the current success of oncology drug approvals in the USA will encourage an increased job market within multinational pharmaceutical companies. Or is the largest oncology skills investment going to come from the generic drug market? If so, where? To share your thoughts on this article and to stay up to date with the latest business, employment and recruitment news in the life sciences industry, please join our LinkedIn group Life Sciences Industry Insights with Hays  and follow us on Twitter  @HaysLifeScience.