Title: Franz F' Hefti
1The World of West Coast Biotech Needs and
Opportunities
Franz F. Hefti July 2005
2How Many Jobs?
Biotech Employees in California 225,000 Source
State of California, 2004 Employment Development
Department
3How Many Pharmacologists?
¼ PhD Pharmacologists 4000 positions in
California
4Technical 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
5Knowledge of Drug Discovery
6Drug Discovery and Development
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
7Molecule-based Neuropharmacology
Class of receptors/channels/transporters
Specific receptor/channel/transporter
Molecular biology
Can we link it to a disease?
8Disease-mechanism based Neuropharmacology
Example Alzheimer
Brain
Blood
APP
X
X
Ab monomers
TOXIC
X
X
TOXIC
Neuron
Ab aggregates
TOXIC
X
Microglia
Activated microglia
9Questions 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?
10Drug Discovery
11Mindset Needs
- Intellectual flexibility
- Motivation
12Understanding 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
13Accept 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
14Be Ready to Move
Mark Varney, Ph.D. VP Pharmacology, Sepracor Inc.
15Adjust to Company Evolution
IND anti-NGF for pain
RINAT NEUROSCIENCE
Foundation by A. Rosenthal
2006
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
1988
1986
1984
1982
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
16Ability to Find Life After the Bench
- Project Management
- Quality Control/Quality Assurance
- Regulatory Affairs
- Organizational skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Managerial skills
17Summary
- 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