Mathematical and Statistical Skills in the Biopharmaceutical Industry

Arkadiy Pitman, MSc is senior director of biostatistics and data management at HBO2 Therapeutics. His experience includes over 20 years of teaching mathematics, logic, statistics, and computer science, as well as over 20 years of work in US small pharma environment, covering data management, statistical programming, biostatistics, regulatory, and medical writing.Oleksandr Sverdlov, PhD is neuroscience disease area lead statistician in early clinical development at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. He has been actively involved in research on adaptive designs for clinical trials and edited a monograph Modern Adaptive Randomized Clinical Trials: Statistical and Practical Aspects (CRC Press).L. Bruce Pearce, PhD has background in pharmacology and toxicology. Since 2009 he has served as a consultant to very early and late stage biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for the development of small molecule-based drugs, biotechnology-derived natural and recombinant biotherapeutics, and medical devices.

• Answers to Inevitable Questions. A Road to an Integral Approach: Atlas and Caryatid of Biostatistics. Atlas–Statistical Programming. Caryatid–Data Management. Further Down the Road: Where and How We Live–Tactical Aspects. Environment: Biostatistics in the Regulatory Science Setting. Toolkit: Pharmacometrics. Broadening the View: Making Life Interesting–Strategic Aspects. Environment Enhancement: Teaching Statistical Concepts to Medical Colleagues. Where Should We Go?–Portfolio Optimization– and How Can We Do It Faster?–Adaptive Clinical Development Strategies. What Are We Measuring? And How Should We Do This?–Development of New Validated Scoring Systems. Can We Survive Mistakes?–Resurrecting a Failed Clinical Program. Can We Predict Unpredictable?–Planning the Timelines of Real-Life Open-Ended Projects.

"This is a highly original, extremely interesting, and in many ways impressive book. Its matter is largely about what it entails to be a professional biostatistician (in the widest sense of the word): what skills and attitudes you need to solve the problems encountered in exercising your profession. It is clear that the authors have thought long and hard about the problems they present. The case-studies are real, complex, interesting, and instructive. The book could only have been written by skilled scientists with long experience of working in the pharmaceutical industry. The reader benefits from the authors’ experience. The reader can be in no doubt that he or she is in the hands of experts. I learned a lot from the book." ~Stephen Senn, Retired, Honorary Professor, University of Sheffield" . . . the book is extremely well written in an accessible and entertaining style, while being informative at the same time. It can wholeheartedly be recommended to every early career biostatistician and PhD student in (bio)statistics, who is considering going into pharmaceutical research, or conducting research in clinical trials." ~Diane Uschner, ISCB News"The book is based on the author’s cumulative experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and wisdom gained from a myriad of challenging problems. Further, given the diverse set of covered topics, we feel that this book would benefit those new to the industry (e.g., graduate students), as well as experienced professionals. Through detailed case studies, the book covers the broad skill set that is needed in the biopharmaceutical industry. Covered clinical drug development topics include: the early stage (e.g., pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacokinetics), the late stage (e.g., trial management and analysis, investigational new drug or new drug applications, communications with regulatory), strategic planning, the functional role of biostatisticians within a biopharmaceutical company, and the many functional roles that a biostatistician must interact with. "The whole reading journey turned out to be a pleasant and educational one…For readers who are interested or are already in the biopharmaceutical industry, this book can provide a framework that helps you build a successful career in this dynamic and exciting industry." ~American Statistician