Job Description
About Us:
At Astellas, we strive to become a cutting-edge, value-driven life science company. This means working at the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients. What sets us apart is our focus on patients, our pioneering innovation, our collaborative culture, and the passion of our talented team. Making a positive impact on patients’ lives is the purpose behind everything we do.
At Astellas, we are relentless in our pursuit of scientific progress and in tackling unmet medical needs, demonstrated by our legacy in oncology, overactive bladder, and transplant, and our impressive pipeline in women's health, blindness and regeneration, genetic regulation, immuno-oncology, mitochondria, and targeted protein therapy.
We are a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, with a team of more than 14,000 managing operations in approximately 70 countries around the world. We are in the Top 30 global biopharma companies based on global revenues and are predicted to be one of the Top 10 Cancer Drug Makers of 2024 by Fierce Pharma.
In Canada, we are growing to meet the exciting opportunities realized by our legacy brands and rich pipeline of innovative medicines.
We are looking for candidates who will thrive in our entrepreneurial and empowering environment where talent and leadership shine. Do your values align with our Astellas Way - patient focus, ownership, results, openness, and integrity? Then we would love to hear from you.
From the first day in role, everyone at Astellas has a responsibility for creating a brighter future for patients around the world. We nurture exceptional relationships with our employees to allow them to thrive, foster innovation, and deliver exceptional business results. We work to create a culture where our people feel empowered to pursue brave ideas and ambitious outcomes, to have the confidence to be accountable for a higher standard of performance, and embody a competitive and solutions-oriented spirit.
Purpose and Scope:
The primary purpose of the Development Scientist will participate in the development of clinical strategies for assigned modalities or indications within the company. This position will work closely with the Global Medical Lead (GML), Operations Lead, and Asset Lead, and Medical Monitor, and is accountable for the design, implementation, monitoring, and analysis of clinical studies conducted within the assigned area.
Development Scientists are expected to perform their responsibilities independently and have core knowledge of clinical development to enable increased participation in division and portfolio level activities.
Essential Job Duties:
- Responsible and accountable for activities related to all current and planned clinical trials (e.g., develop protocols, investigator brochures, CRFs, informed consents, and clinical study reports and review of clinical trial documents, study analyses, and reporting) on assigned development.
- Provides expertise to cross-functional team members to synthesize/contextualize data to facilitate discussion and timely decision making.
- Serves on the clinical sub-team with GML, Operations Lead, and Medical Monitor/Study Physician and supports preparation of clinical development plans, site identification and management, and DESC.
- Under the guidance of study physician/med lead, perform medical monitoring activities (Review, analyze and triage patient data, generating reports).
- Able to independently lead working groups and/or sub-team initiatives in support of protocol, disease area, or clinical development.
- Partners with GML in preparing for Health Authority (HA) Meetings and assists in addressing HA queries.
- Together with the GML and Product Responsible Person may prepare analysis for DMC/DSMB/DEC forums or regulatory submissions.
- Provides training at investigator meetings and site initiation visits with clinical trial staff, and partners with Clinical Operations and Medical Affairs in enabling appropriate enrollment into the clinical studies.
- Collaborates cross-functionally to create, review, and/or present clinical slides for internal meetings and external stakeholders.
- Supports engagement with potential and current sites (e.g., SIVs, investigator meetings, conferences, steering committee, advisory board meetings) for early and/or late-phase studies.
Exhibits expertise related to Study Data Review and Analysis: Provides clinical input into statistical planning, data analysis and interpretation. Provides clinical leadership and support for publication of data (manuscripts, presentations) and disease or technology related scientific publications.
Works closely with operations group for site and vendor feasibility, trial set up, and monitoring. May lead the execution of contracts, particularly for investigator meetings and site support.
Supports efforts to develop strategic partnerships with Key External Experts (KEEs). Serve as a key partner for Development Division in assessment of candidates within discovery, identifying opportunities and potential risks with future development strategies based on modality, indication, unmet need, competitive landscape, and clinical data.
May represent development and assist with clinical assessment for due diligence of new assets for potential in-licensing. Supports strategic initiatives related to assigned molecule(s), CDP, therapeutic area(s), or portfolio, if applicable.
Performs other duties as assigned or special projects as needed. This position reports to the Primary Focus Medical Head (or other Leads depending on grade) for designated area. This position is typically an individual contributor role but may have direct reports based on scope, accountabilities, and complexity of assigned development. If the position has direct reports, it will align with Astellas guidelines for span of control and organizational structure.