Pharamceuticals – The industry with the key to our freedom

Earlier this month, Mike Hennessey Sr, Chairman and Founder of the USA’s biggest medical media company, wrote an open letter stating that pharmaceutical innovation is saving the world¹.

He wrote: “Over the last 9 months, we have seen heroism, innovation, and precise science, performed under unbelievable pressure. The result is no short of miraculous.”

The biggest vaccination campaign in history

The biggest vaccination campaign in history is underway. As of 8 February, more than 134 million doses had been administered across 73 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg². The latest rate was roughly 4.74 million doses a day.

With each day that passes, more people will be vaccinated and slowly but surely, we’ll begin our return to life pre-COVID. It’s an astonishing global undertaking and comes down to the incredible people working within pharmaceuticals.

From researchers to scientists and everyone in between, 2020 has proven that coming together to achieve one common goal with the sheer determination to innovate can lead to awe-inspiring results – even with the pressure of the world on their shoulders!

Demand for talent in the Pharmaceutical sector is at an all-time high

The journey is by no means over and the demand for talent within the industry is at an all-time high. Last year’s introduction of the fast-track Global Talent Visa³ has widened the talent pool, making it easier for pharmaceutical research experts to move to the UK for work.

Introduction of tier-one Exceptional Talent Visa – February 2020

Introduced in February 2020, the new visa replaced the tier-one Exceptional Talent Visa, which had a cap of 2,000 places per year and had faced widespread criticism. The new UK Talent Visa is uncapped and also offers help to new scientists arriving in the UK under the visa with an accelerated settlement programme for successful applicants.

Aimed at scientists, researchers and mathematicians, it’s hoped this new visa will encourage top talent from abroad to take up positions in the UK by creating a system that is “welcoming, faster and more flexible, and takes into account the long-term aspirations of scientists and their families”.

Concluding his letter, Mike Hennessey said: “Remember, we accomplished this in only 9 months—with the help, dedication, and expertise of our pharmaceutical heroes. Next time you turn on the TV and see negativity, turn it off and imagine instead where we will be in 9 months.”

At ACHIEVA, we look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Pharmaceutical sector and are poised to support our clients in the search for the next industry heroes.

¹https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/how-pharmaceutical-innovation-saving-world

²https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/

³https://www.gov.uk/global-talent