At the Ajilla Foundation, we strive to help close the gaps that exist between women and men. Although women are underrepresented in many fields, the discrepancy in STEM related fields is glaring. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women make up nearly half of the working population, but only 27 percent are STEM workers compared to 74 percent of men. Giving women equal opportunities to pursue — and thrive in — STEM careers helps narrow the gender pay gap, enhances women’s economic security and ensures a diverse and talented STEM workforce and prevents biases in these fields and the products and services they produce.
Thank you to Takeda Pharmaceuticals for sponsoring our Bench to Bedside event for high school and college students. And a big thank you to the extraordinary panel of specialists that shared their personal and professional journeys in pharma as well as their insight on what it looks like to take a drug from concept to consumer.
From Bench to Bedside: A Journey to Making Medicines Fun Facts
It often takes over 10 years to take a new drug from concept to consumer
The average cost to research and develop each successful drug is estimated to be $2.6 billion.
The drug discovery process begins by testing 10,000-15,000 different compounds to see what unique set of molecules are most promising to treat the intended sickness. Only 200-300 of these usually make it to the next phase of testing
Only 5 in 5,000 drugs that enter preclinical testing progress to human testing. One of these 5 drugs that are tested in people is approved.
During the clinical trials process drugs are first tested in healthy people before they are tested in people with illnesses.
Pharmaceutical regulations are set by the FDA in the US, however regulatory affairs is a global “issue” and they must adhere to the standards of each country in which the drug will be available.
Even after a new drug is released to the public it is monitored for many more years to test safety and efficacy.
Advice from our panel to someone starting a career in the pharmaceutical industry
You are good enough
Trust yourself and the knowledge you have, but don’t be afraid to prove it
Raise your hand early, take on the big projects, get noticed
You may not have all the answers, especially starting out. You may be afraid, do it anyway.
You do not necessarily need advanced degrees to work in pharma. You still deserve to be there.
Pathways to a Career in the Pharmaceutical industry
Obtain a degree in STEM
Work in a lab (academic or industry)
Build Connections
Do not underestimate the power of Networking
Try to be a resource to others.
Be open to doing things that are not part of your specific role. Always be willing to learn a new skill. Use and overuse the phrase “teach me”.
Do not be afraid to take on the big projects, stretch yourself. Try to be noticed.
Watch a snippet of the session below.
What attendees had to say about the event:
"This topic speaks to my life so much right now!"
"Great event, very informative. The Q&A portion was insightful."
"I loved the organization of the event and the professional insight given!”