2.1 Pharmaceutical Industry

Assess safety in contract toxicology companies

Do you want to ensure that new medicines are safe?
Safety pharmacology is required by regulatory authorities worldwide to exclude potential side effects of novel compounds. As a safety pharmacologist you would design new tests to determine if a new compound could produce side effects. In addition, you would be involved in conducting safety tests to indicate the potential for compounds to produce life threatening events like cancer and changes in the reproductive system. You would be interested in experimental design, high technology measuring systems and the science linking biological changes in animals with a therapeutically useful response compared with the potential to cause side effects.

Are you a team player and enjoy experimental work, presenting your results and like the chance to be involved in developing a new medicine?
Pharmacologists in contract laboratories produce reports for their customers in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology company, which are used to obtain approval of medicines by regulatory authorities, as well for scientific publication in journals like the British Journal of Toxicology. You will attend scientific meetings round the world to present the results of your work. You might become interested in the business side of the contract laboratory and use your science and experimental background to meet clients and sell your company’s test systems. You might become involved in working with the Regulatory Authorities around the world to develop new test guidelines.

You can enter such positions with a first degree.

For further details go to The British Toxicology Society and contract toxicology company web sites.

Dr Martin Lunnon

B.Sc. Chemistry and Ph.D. Biological Chemistry University of Bristol. Worked for a number of pharmaceutical companies since graduating Glaxo, Mead Johnson, Searle, Sandoz, Yamanouchi and now is Director, Discovery Medicine at GlaxoSmthKline in Harlow. Currently in the Neurology Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery (CEDD) focusing on stroke and Alzheimers Disease. CEDDs take a potential drug molecule and develop it to a stage where it can be considered a viable marketable product. Work closely with biological and the clinical development team. Requirements for job include; good overview and all-round experience of drug development process, drive to push forward projects, good communication skills (oral and written), team working skills, analytical skills.