In partnership with the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, scientists at the University of Manchester and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will be working together to investigate how the biological clock controls inflammation in lung diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
It is hoped that the £500,000 study, which will be funded by GSK, will lead to the development of new drugs that will target how the internal body clock regulates the severity of inflammation. The team at the University of Manchester will be headed up by Professors Andrew Loudon, David Ray and Kath Else. This team will work closely with colleagues in the Discovery Biology group at GSK.
Speaking of the collaboration, Professor Loudon or the faculty of life sciences, stated:
“Many inflammatory diseases are highly rhythmic in presentation and often worse at night. We believe there is also a strong rhythmic control. It has long been speculated that asthma and other inflammatory conditions have an underlying clock mechanism controlling the severity of the disease. These clocks are all over the body, including in cells responsible for the immune response in the lung. In addition the way we metabolise drugs is highly rhythmic. Our aim is to gain a sufficient understanding of this process so we can target key parts with specific new drugs.
“We are working with GSK not only to develop new drugs to alleviate symptoms but also reveal optimal timing of therapy, known as chronotherapy. This is a new and exciting area of research. It is being taken very seriously in France, for example, where researchers have for some time been studying the importance of timing of chemotherapy in cancer. This study is just one at the beginning of an exciting new phase in circadian rhythm research.”
Inflammatory diseases of the lung are a major cause of mortality world-wide. In the case of COPD, the progression of this inflammatory disease is irreversible once commenced. In the UK 27,478 people died as a result of COPD in 2004. Other diseases with an inflammatory aspect include asthma, which is a predisposition to chronic inflammation of the lungs in which the airways are reversibly narrowed.
This year, the DIA (Drug Information Association) chose Monaco and its state-of-the-art Grimaldi Forum to hold it’s 22nd Annual EuroMeeting, and CK Clinical, sister company of CK Science, had the pleasure of attending.
The DIA Annual EuroMeeting is the largest event of its kind in Europe. From the 8-10th March 2010, 3,000 professionals from biopharmaceutical industry, contract service organisations, academic research centres, regulatory agencies, health ministries, patient organisations and trade associations, descended on Monaco.
CK Clinical’s first visit to the DIA Conference was a resounding success. Pharmaceutical jobs were brought in across all sectors, and the conference definitely acted as a brilliant springboard kick off our campaign to enter the European market.
We also ran a prize draw to win an Apple iPod Touch, the winner being a Departmental Manager from Novo Nordisk in Denmark. Thank you to everybody that entered.
The Grimaldi Forum was an impressive waterfront venue, filled with daylight and a stunning glass entrance. A perfect venue to network with clients. Monaco was incredible with Ferrari’s, Mercedes Benz and Bentleys everywhere you looked. The hotel even had its own helipad!
We are very much looking forward to attending and exhibiting at next year’s DIA Conference in Geneva.
Napp Pharmaceutical Holdings, part of a worldwide association of independent pharmaceutical companies, has been announced as the 5th best company to work for by The Sunday Times. This is the first time in the 4 years the company has entered the contest, that they have broken into the top 5.
According to the survey conducted by The Sunday Times, one in five employees at Napp has worked at the company for over a decade. Further impressive findings include:
84% of staff believe the company makes a difference to the world.
83% love working for the company and are happy with their pay and benefits.
69% of staff believe they are paid fairly for the work they do relative to others in the organization.
71% say their salary reflects their responsibilities.
77% of staff report that Managers regularly express their appreciation when a team member does a good job.
80% believe that working at Napp is good for personal growth.
This positive culture at Napp has been the product of Managing Director, Antony Mattessich. He introduced the company ‘charter’ which established four core aims of the organization. This initiative allows employees to have their say on the direction of the business, giving them the freedom to discuess with the departments as to how they can help the firm meet its objectives.
Julie Worth, Area Sales Manager, has been part of the charter group. “It just amazed me — I was actually having a say in how the business was run,” she says. “You’re working with directors and you learn that people are genuinely approachable. They really listen.”
Mattessich’s positive impact on the company was reflected in the results of the survey conducted by The Sunday Times:
73% of employees agree that senior managers listen to staff.
81% feel inspired by Mattessich’s leadership.
87% of employees are proud to work for the company.
So, what in your opinion makes a company a good place to work? Please feel free to share your comments and stories below.
As reported on the Times Online, the Pharmaceutical Industry giant, AstraZeneca plans to cut 1,200 UK Pharmaceutical jobs. The job cuts are a result of the company’s suspension of their research into various disease areas.
The company plans to close its research and development facility based in Leicestershire, along with another small plant in Cambridge. Pharmaceutical development work at the Avlon facility near Bristol will also cease. Some of the workers will move to the company’s Alderly Park in Cheshire which is AstraZeneca’s largest research and development plant.
This will come as disappointing news to the Government, who created the Office of Life Sciences last year in a bid to increased the number of science and pharmaceutical jobs. The head of the Office of Life Sciences, Lord Drayson, said “I’m obviously disappointed that AstraZeneca is closing Charnwood, but the announcement that Alderley Park will become one of AstraZeneca’s top three global R&D sites shows that the UK remains an attractive location for investment in pharmaceuticals.”
Earlier in the year, AstraZeneca announced that they planned to cut 8,000 jobs around the world by 2014, including 3,500 in research and development, as part of a large-scale refocusing of the business.
Our client, a global leader in pharmaceuticals, are currently looking for an Analytical Chemist to join their team based in the North East of England on a long term contract basis (12 months initially).
This Analytical Chemist role is based in a manufacturing environment and will involve you will carry out a range of analytical tests including HPLC, GC, FTIR and other techniques.
This is an excellent opportunity for you to gain industrial experience for your CV as the client is highly respected within the pharmaceutical industry.
The ideal candidate for this Analytical Chemist role will be educated to degree, HNC, or A Level in Chemistry and will have recent demonstrable experience working in a laboratory environment although training will be given.
If you are interested in hearing more about this Analytical Chemist role, please contact Heather Deagle on 0191 3848905 or email hdeagle@ckscience.co.uk.
If you do not hear back from us within 5 working days of your application for this role, it means that on this occasion you have not been shortlisted for the next stage of the recruitment campaign. Entitlement to work in the UK is essential. Please quote reference DH19363 in all correspondence.
CK Science is the largest independent scientific recruitment company in the UK. Our team of specialist recruiters are here to help you achieve your careerambitions within the scientific industry. We actively offer you careers advice, help with writing your CV, assistance with interview preparation and up-to-date information about the industry. We pride ourselves on providing an honest, straight-forward and trustworthy service to both our clients and candidates.
Our client is a major pharmaceutical company in the North East of England who has a number of opportunities for Packaging Technologists and Technicians to work in supporting the transfer of products to the clients site.
Duties of this Packaging Technologist role will involve the completion of activities concerned with introduction of these new products, processes and equipment into production, primarily focussed on development, scale up and technology transfer activities. There may be opportunities for permanent positions during or on completion of the project.
The successful candidate for this Packaging Technologist role be of graduate calibre from a manufacturing or production background ideally with pharmaceuticals or similar industry.
For more information about this role, please contact Heather Deagle on 0191 384 8905 or email hdeagle@ckscience.co.uk, quoting reference DH19375.
The global pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced that they will be cutting 380 pharmaceutical jobs at their site in Harlow, Essex. The site currently employs 1,150 staff. The cuts come as projects for pain relief, anxiety and depression drugs come to an end. Despite reporting an annual rise in profits of 12% earlier this year, the pharma company are still stressing the need to make cost savings.
GSK’s CEO, Andrew Witty stated that “Glaxo would discontinue research in some areas including depression and pain, and would focus more on degenerative and inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.”
Glaxo has its headquarters in Brentford, Middlesex, and research bases at Stevenage and Ware in Hertfordshire and Harlow in Essex.
Our client, a pharmaceutical service company based in Scotland, specialise in conducting research, development and manufacturing on a contract basis. This innovative company are currently looking for a Director of Quality to join their steriles division which manufactures investigational medicinal products.
As Quality Director you will have responsibility for the development of the site quality strategy and compliance with the site Quality Management System. You will liaise with the MHRA to maintain IMP MA, develop and manage the site validation master plan and manage the Quality Department, comprising QA, QC, analytical and microbiology.
The ideal candidate for this Director of Quality position will be fully qualified and accredited as a QP eligible for permanent provision in a steriles IMP MA, with considerable experience in a senior QA role within the pharmaceutical industry. Prior experience in sterile products manufacture is also essential.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Qualified Person to develop their career with a dynamic pharmaceutical service company who are committed to making a difference.
If you would like to hear more about this role, please contact Lorna Crombie on 01913848905 or email lcrombie@ckscience.co.uk, quoting reference DH19237 in all correspondence.
CK Science is the largest independent scientific recruitment company in the UK. Our team of specialist recruiters are here to help you achieve your career ambitions within the scientific industry. We actively offer you careers advice, help with writing your CV, assistance with interview preparation and up-to-date information about the industry. We pride ourselves on providing an honest, straight-forward and trustworthy service to both our clients and candidates.
When registering with a scientific recruitment agency it is sometimes difficult for candidates to know how often they should be contacting their agency and exactly what type of contact to expect from the agency.
There are a number of strategies that, as a candidate, CK Science suggests that you could adopt to help your cause:
Email your consultant with a reminder of your requirements; try to be flexible with these as the consultant will immediately consider you for more scientific vacancies when they come in if you are.
Initiate regular contact. If you are having trouble getting a consultant on the phone, email them or contact them through LinkedIn with a (very important this) polite reminder that you are still available.
Update your CV regularly.
Try to follow what science vacancies are posted on the agency’s own site and ask the relevant consultant to be considered for the ones that are of interest.
Make yourself an asset by passing on interesting information (business or recruitment) as I am sure you appreciate the consultants are naturally more likely to work harder on your behalf if you have built up a relationship with them.
It is a difficult position to be in when looking for a change of career, but all recruiters are trying to help, try to be patient with them and once again, stay in touch.
From CK Science’s angle, we are constantly juggling new and existing candidates and aim to provide a consistently high level of service to all.
In order to engage and communicate with candidates CK Science are adopting new technology and social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
Following a recent poll via Linked, asking ‘In your opinion, what is the worst mistake someone could make at an interview?’. CK Science can now reveal the top 25 mistakes to avoid at an interview, as decided by professionals registered on Linkedin:
Speaking negatively about a former employer.
Showing up late.
Showing up too early.
Not having the appropriate interview appearance.
No doing your homework about the company.
Not knowing the role and position you have applied for.
Revealing your need for job at the interview.
Showing that you are desperate, or really worried about your financial or career situation.
Embellishing your CV.
Talking too much.
Not enough/too much eye contact.
Chewing gum.
Folding your arms.
Asking about holidays and sick pay policies.
Talking about family problems.
Not showing up for an interview and not calling to reschedule.
Answering the phone or texting during an interview.
Not being truthful about the role you have played in past projects.
Inability to match your background with the demands of the job.
Not answering the question that is asked.
Not bringing a copy of your CV with you.
Chatting up the female interviewer.
Bringing your mother with you.
Slouch in your chair.
Smoking before your interview.
So, what do you think is the worst mistake? Vote for what you think is the worst interview mistake below by entering your comments below. We would definitely like to hear from you.
In partnership with the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, scientists at the University of Manchester and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will be working together to investigate how the biological clock controls inflammation in lung diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
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