Anybody else here work in Pharma?

Flatbutt1 · 11-28-2005, 05:14 AM

I've been in the industry for most of my career. I'm 53 years old, I might be able to afford retirement at 62 but the way things are going I may end up flipping burgers till I'm 65. Now that Merck is eliminating jobs I wonder how the industry as a whole will fare. I used to work for an American business but we were taken over by a British firm. I'm not feeling so very secure these days. I'm getting too old to compete with young bucks.

dhoward · dhoward's Garage

PBM here.
Drugs is good, but you're right, The climate is changing...

adamred · adamred's Garage

I work on the agency side of the NJ pharma beast (medical education).

Lot's of my clients (and friends) have been fleeing the big companies and going with the smaller generics turning branded companies. Lots of upside potential with those types of companies, also as you know quite a bit of risk...

In what area of the biz do you work?

cantdrv55 · 11-28-2005, 07:58 AM

I'm in medical instrument sales, not pharma. Lots of "reorgs" lately in my industry as well. No such thing as a secure job in my field anymore.

arcsine · 11-28-2005, 11:27 AM

I spent time with Bristol-Myers Squibb and Immunex/Amgen. I bailed on the research gig after many reorgs/shuffling within BMS. Left when they transferred the entire Seattle group to Lawrenceville. Did not go for that one.
With Immunex/Amgen was working as a graphic designer. Immunex was great: Amgen was not so. Could see writing on the wall that there was no future for me with the bean counters there.

I have friends in most of the biotechs/big pharma's and NO ONE feels safe. Buying and selling companies is going to be the way from here on out. This goes for small biotech and big pharma as well. The small ones will only exist if they have rock solid IP or something very promising late in development. Big ones will only make it if they keep pipelines full of "blockbusters". Either one of those scenarios are fraught with big risk and speculation.

RickM · RickM's Garage

I have friends and acquaintances at many of the large Pharmas (and other related businesses). Seems the only place people are very content is at Novartis.