What’s It About
Research and development into new drugs are an extremely expensive and time-consuming process that is fraught with risks, but the rewards can be huge. It is a fast-paced sector where you will be working at the cutting edge of medical research. The failure rate of new drug discoveries is high, and it can cost billions to bring a new drug to the market.
However, new drug discoveries save lives and also bring huge economic benefits.
Drug Discovery and Development in Ireland
Research carried out by the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, which represents the research-based pharma sector in Ireland, has detailed how nearly €52 billion in socioeconomic value has been generated in Ireland over the last twenty years. This has resulted in the development of new medicines including for respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer medicines alone.
These diseases account for seventy two percent of deaths in Ireland. The report highlights the positive impact on patient’s lives allowing them to live longer, healthier lives and continue working as productive members of society. Broader benefits to the economy and the reduced burden on our health system are also outlined.
There are key stages in the development of a new drug; research, drug discovery, pre-clinical testing, clinical trials, regulatory approval, manufacturing, and post market follow up. It is a highly regulated process from when the drug leaves the laboratory and reaches the pharmacy or medical practitioner, ready to be prescribed to the patient.
Some of the challenges include maintaining ethical standards, overcoming scientific hurdles in developing the drug, working through complex regulatory environments in different countries. It can take over ten years before a new drug is licensed for use. All this comes at a huge financial cost so there must be sufficient funding throughout the process.
Research and development of new drugs is being transformed by advances in technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The ability to handle huge amounts of data and the use of algorithms makes it easier to predict and select potential patients for a clinical trial and target treatment to a patient’s unique genetic profile. Data on the safety and efficacy of a drug can speed up the process of drug discovery. This enables more accurate predictions of trends and helps to plan for evolving healthcare needs globally.
Nature of the Work
Seeking to understand why some patients respond to new drugs whilst others don’t is fundamental to ongoing research. A growing area is personalised medicine, where a patient’s own genetic profile is used to help prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. An example is CAR-T an advanced immunotherapy for the treatment of the blood cancer, multiple myeloma. This potentially lifesaving therapy is undergoing the first clinical trial in Ireland supported by major pharmaceutical manufacturer Janssen.
Another example of targeted personalised Genomics- based medicine is the HER2 gene Herceptin for breast cancer. Cell and gene therapies, which are usually once off treatments, can have a profound effect in extending patient’s lives, negating the need for ongoing treatment. As these advanced therapies are costly, complex, and difficult to scale up the manufacturing process, we are likely to see more collaborations between research and development and manufacturing companies.
Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) strategy to grow our research base is to increase programmes that facilitate collaborations with academia and industry in their research centres throughout Ireland. SFI’s Research centre for Pharmaceuticals (SSPC), hosted at the University of Limerick, is a key partner for the Biopharmaceutical industry in Ireland, helping to drive scientific discoveries.
To help deliver scientific breakthroughs that will deliver innovative new drugs for the benefit of society and the economy, Ireland requires a strong pool of highly qualified and skilled researchers. SFI has set a target that nearly two third of researchers would move to positions outside of academia in the next few years to meet industry demands. Twenty five percent of all PhD researchers work in this dynamic, challenging sector with excellent job prospects. It is highly rewarding work at the cutting edge of medical research where you can really make a difference in people’s lives by being part of a research team delivering new life saving drugs.
Biomedical Scientists also work in the Drug Discovery and Development Sector. They study the human body and the science of health and disease. Many biomedical scientists go on to work in hospital laboratories on completion of a postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Laboratory Placement. They work at the heart of the health system using cutting edge technology to diagnose and analyse fluid & tissue samples to assess the effectiveness of treatments. Others work in a diverse range of industries including Research & Academia, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology companies, Diagnostics, Health sciences and the thriving Medtech sector. Further postgraduate qualifications may be required for some positions and many complete Masters or PhD qualifications in areas such biotechnology, molecular & cell biology, cancer, genetics, regenerative medicine, and neuroscience. Further information on Biomedical Science is available here.