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Franz F. Hefti July 2005

The World of West Coast Biotech: Needs and Opportunities. Franz F. Hefti July 2005. How Many Jobs?. Biotech Employees in California: 225,000 Source: State of California, 2004 Employment Development Department. How Many Pharmacologists?. ¼ PhD Pharmacologists

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Franz F. Hefti July 2005

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  1. The World of West Coast Biotech: Needs and Opportunities Franz F. Hefti July 2005

  2. How Many Jobs? Biotech Employees in California: 225,000 Source: State of California, 2004 Employment Development Department

  3. How Many Pharmacologists? ¼ PhD Pharmacologists ~ 4000 positions in California

  4. Technical Skill Needs Easy to recruit • Molecular Pharmacologists • only the very best Difficult to recruit • In vivo Pharmacologists • Behavioral Pharmacologists • Safety Pharmacologists and Toxicologists • Secondary functions: • Pharmacokinetics experts • Quality Assurance/Quality Control experts • Regulatory experts • Project managers

  5. Knowledge of Drug Discovery

  6. Drug Discovery and Development Genomic Info xx Studies ofDisease Mechanisms Safety testing Target Human Studies Phases 1,2,3 Lead Initial Biologic Animal studies Drug Drug Candidate efficacy in animal models pharmacokinetics

  7. Molecule-based Neuropharmacology Class of receptors/channels/transporters Specific receptor/channel/transporter Molecular biology Can we link it to a disease?

  8. Disease-mechanism based Neuropharmacology: Example Alzheimer Brain Blood APP X X Ab monomers TOXIC X X TOXIC Neuron Ab aggregates TOXIC X Activated microglia Microglia

  9. Questions Addressed for Each Disease What do we know about the disease mechanism? What are the current drugs? • How were they found? • What are their targets and how do they work? • Can we make them better? How do we find new targets? • small molecules or biologics? How are the drug candidates further developed? • Are there predictive animal models? • How do we translate to human trials?

  10. Drug Discovery

  11. Mindset Needs Intellectual flexibility Motivation

  12. Understanding of Industry Intellectual Property • Patent filings • Confidentiality Company status • Publicly traded • Private, pre-IPO • Fully-owned subsidiary Compensation • salary and bonus • stock options Contract • ‘at will’ employment Recruitment mechanisms • Networking • Website announcements

  13. Accept “Flexible Job Stability” David L. Sloane, Ph.D. since 2004 Associate Director, Rinat Neuroscience 2000 -2003 Sr. Scientist, Chiron Corporation 1995- 2000 Scientist III Targeted Genetics 1993- 1995 Scientist II Syntex Research 1989-1993 Post-doc UCSF

  14. Be Ready to Move SepracorBoston Oxford University UK Servier Paris, France SIBIA, Merck San Diego Bionomics Adelaide, Australia Mark Varney, Ph.D. VP Pharmacology, Sepracor Inc.

  15. Adjust to Company Evolution RINAT NEUROSCIENCE IND: anti-NGF for pain Foundation by A. Rosenthal 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 Focus on cancer therapeutics Formation Neurosci. Res. Dept. GENENTECH Rinat-Genentech partnership agreement on anti-NGF Clinical studies with NGF in neuropathy Start of neuroscience research

  16. Ability to Find ‘Life After the Bench’ Project Management Quality Control/Quality Assurance Regulatory Affairs • Organizational skills • Interpersonal skills • Managerial skills

  17. Summary Expert technical skills Understanding of drug discovery and development Motivation and intellectual flexibility Understanding of industry Ability to change and adjust Willingness to move away from the bench

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