At Biocon Biologics, we are creating a model for the future of healthcare for all. We are a leading company in the biosimilars revolution where patients come first. Our ambition is to impact a billion lives and we do this by fostering a culture of affordable innovation, patient-centricity, and disruptive thinking. We are a multicultural global company where employees have a purpose and passion to work closely with partners and patients. We have a long-term commitment to bringing high-quality affordable biosimilars to patients all over the globe. We have proven end-to-end expertise from clone development, manufacturing, clinical development, and regulatory approvals to commercialization.
The Director Medical Affairs Strategy Europe is entrusted with developing a differentiated Medical Affairs strategy tailored to the needs of the biosimilars environment for the European continent. This is a forward looking and innovative role that will develop the opportunity space in Europe for a broad and expanding portfolio of biosimilar products. The role seeks to take Medical Affairs to the next level in terms of content and delivery The biosimilar environment offers unique aspects to be accounted for in a Medical Affairs strategy. This includes facilitating familiarity with, as well as confidence in the concept of bio similarity. Furthermore, developing renewed interest in these products that have been with us for the most part for over a decade and recognizing the value they still represent despite potential new developments and incumbents: “the trusted therapeutic option that still serves many patients well despite potential innovation in the therapeutic space”. In addition, the notable price barriers while the products were still under patent protection may have left some important features and aspects undiscovered. Taken together biosimilars offer a wide opportunity landscape for innovative perspectives and new approaches to Medical Affairs that stretches from rediscovering the molecules themselves, over health care systems research that considers facilitators and barriers to the adoption as biosimilars, or their contribution to the sustainability of health care systems, all the way to revisiting key features of the therapeutic practices around these molecules. As the domain of Medical Affairs itself evolves, modalities of dissemination of information, means of delivery of medical education and channels of stakeholder engagement are themselves undergoing notable changes. Contemporary audiences are looking for high quality content delivered in efficient and memorable formats (e.g. infographics) that stand out and project professionalism. Time is an increasingly scarce commodity and audiences are increasingly judicious in what they are giving their attention to. It is in this context that the role of Senior Director Medical Affairs Strategy Europe is to be interpreted as a groundbreaking approach to seeing “old” products in a new light. The Director Medical Affairs Strategy Europe will report to the Chief Medical Officer.
Implicitly the role requires an open and curious mindset, a willingness to question the established and conventional way of considering the individual products and their established role in patient management, as well as taking a systems perspective on health care delivery across the European continent. Europe is a diverse environment in terms of health care infra-structure and health care practices and frameworks. The Director Medical Affairs Strategy Europe is the holder of the relevant expertise in this regard and leverages this to provide state of the art support to internal and external stakeholders as the situation requires.
Responsibilities
- To curate a solid understanding of health care systems and the decision making therein as it pertains to biosimilars in general and to individual biosimilar products in Europe.
- Propose and develop projects and initiatives to leverage this understanding. Such projects may be educational in nature or research activities either in the form of desk research, or the development of explicit research proposals (database studies, observational research etc.)
- To develop and tailor a broad range of project proposals including cost-neutral activities that serve to highlight the merits of the biosimilar opportunity and the company specific portfolio of products.
- Draft and publish scientific manuscripts as they pertain to the biosimilar environment in general and/or specific aspects thereof in Europe. These may cover a wide range of topics depending on the opportunities identified, including real-word-evidence, health economics, clinical audits and health care delivery research, case studies and case series etc.
- Develop educational material and conduct educational sessions on topics pertinent to the biosimilar domain. Example topics include “clinical perspectives on comparability exercises”, “comparative tolerability and safety - essentials in data interpretation” etc.
- Develop a solid understanding of the products in the company portfolio and be able to apply this understanding to all other activities.
- To work closely with the other members of the European and Global Medical Affairs teams to create synergies and efficiencies in meeting the overarching Medical Affairs mandate.
- Collaborate constructively cross-functionally with all internal and external stakeholders with respect to the assigned responsibilities.
Qualifications
- Relevant academic qualification e.g. in the life sciences, e.g. Ph.D. or MD. Ideally able to convincingly entertain a clinical perspective.
- Noteworthy experience that can be carried forward and qualifies for the role in terms of demonstrable scientific acumen, communicative skills, as well as strategic thinking and its translation into practical initiatives. The expectation is that the candidate has a track record that provides confidence in her/his ability to meet the requirements of the role.
- The candidate is expected to be self-driven and to work independently and deliver on the entrusted activities. Set project goals are realised and implemented in collaboration with stakeholders. Progress reports are offered periodically.
- Ability to critically appraise research in the clinical sciences field, including a relevant understanding of customary study methodology and statistical techniques.
- Practical familiarity with the contemporary Medical Affairs environment, its practices and the governing legislation and working knowledge of the compliance requirements.
- A solid understanding of the European health care environment and its stakeholders including policy makers, advocacy groups, fundholders and payors, etc. their respective interests and the issues they face as the pertain to the biosimilar domain.
- A command of the English language that allows nuanced conversations and reflected written communication.
- Professional fluency in at least one of the continental European languages.
Biocon Biologics is an Equal Opportunity, EEO / Affirmative Action Employer committed to excellence through diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and no employee shall be discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability, genetic information, status as a protected veteran or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.