Opportunities

Pharmaceutical company employees are engaged in a wide variety of tasks. Our scientists work at the cutting edge of science and technology, using and developing state-of-the-art techniques to provide the medicines of the future. When a successful product has been identified we need people who can design and carry out its production cost-effectively and on a large scale. Good communication skills enable our marketing and sales staff to bring our success to the attention of the medical profession. Information technology and management skills are needed across the range of company activities.

The development of a medicine from the laboratory to the pharmacy

Drug discovery The pharmaceutical company decides which illness, or group of illnesses to target. Scientists extract or design and synthesise chemical compounds whose therapeutic potentials are assessed through screening. The drug discovery phase includes all the research activities which result in the identification of potential compounds.

Drug Patents The pharmaceutical company applies for patents as soon as it has identified promising compounds that are not already protected by another company's patents.

Chemical and pharmaceutical development, toxicology Compounds are assessed for safety and stability. The legally required animal tests are carried out. Methods for synthesis and analysis are developed. Different formulations of the active compounds are investigated.

Clinical development The active compounds are tested on humans. Extensive data are collected. From the results the number of candidate compounds is usually reduced to one.

Manufacturing The process for making the product on a manufacturing scale is designed using a pilot plant and then implemented on a much larger scale.

Registration and regulatory affairs The company must submit satisfactory evidence, especially regarding safety, before it can start clinical trials or put the medicine on the market.

Sales and marketing Promotion, advertising and selling.

Post-marketing surveillance Doctors report on any adverse drug reactions in patients taking the medicine.