REPORT HIGHLIGHTS


Click here to watch Part 3 of the Round Table Discussion BIOANALYTICAL SKILLS GAP


You can view the full Round Table Discussion Report published in Bioanalysis online (Spooner N, Cape S, Hayes R et al. Issues facing the bioanalytical community: summary of roundtable discussions. Bioanalysis 8(21),


doi: bio-2016-4993 (2016) (Epub ahead of print).


This part of the discussion centered on whether there is a growing skills gap for bioanalytical scientists in both Pharma and CROs. Whether the impact of such a gap is leading to difficulties in developing suitable approaches and innovative workflows for the analysis of novel construct molecules, including ease of assay transfers and technology between laboratories were explored. Scientists with a strong chemistry and some biology background were traditionally sought by bioanalytical laboratories, where the drug entities could be defined as small molecule white powders that could be analyzed routinely by simple sample preparation followed by LC–MS/MS. However, these skills are no longer considered to be enough now that Pharma are increasingly moving toward novel molecular constructs and modes of action.


It was stated that there is a growing realization that staff need to be trained, rather than recruited with the required skills already in place. This requires that Pharma and CRO companies make a longer-term investment in their staff and provide them opportunities to develop as bioanalysts and in broader aspects of drug development and scientific leadership, and reward them for success in these endeavors. This led to a discussion around possible routes forward for staff training. It was proposed that bioanalytical groups in Pharma and CROs could work together to develop industry training courses, building on the success of current offerings from meetings such as WRIB, AAPS and so on. Another idea was that CROs could offer a hands-on training service for other bioanalytical laboratories. This could be reciprocated with Pharma companies opening their doors to CRO staff to enable them to learn the broader aspects of drug development and where bioanalysis fits into the jigsaw puzzle.


5


www.bioanalysis-zone.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18