In his new role Scott will oversee the company’s North American-based production locations for Research Models and Services (RMS).
Q: What experience do you have and how will this knowledge help strengthen Envigo?
A: I have over two decades of experience managing operations areas in the pharmaceutical industry and implementing programs to drive efficiency and productivity. This will benefit Envigo because contract research is a highly competitive and regulated industry that requires a focus on operational excellence.
Q: What are some of the most significant changes you’ve noticed in the industry?
A: The most significant change in the industry I have seen is the tremendous growth in outsourcing of R&D and manufacturing. My experience mirrors that trend – the second half of my career I have spent working for firms that provide contract research and products.
As a result a lot of this outsourcing trend, operational functions previously performed by large manufacturers are now the responsibility of CROs, CMOs and other vendors. That is the most significant change I have witnessed in the industry, at least in terms of impact on operational folks like myself.
Q: Based on what you know of the industry today, where do you think it is heading in the next five years?
A: The science and technology of our industry today continues to become more sophisticated and precise. With the mastery of biologics and chemistry we have witnessed in the past 50 years, the pharmaceutical industry is poised to continue to make breakthroughs in cancer, infectious diseases, and other areas. Look how far we have come in terms of cancer and AIDS since the 1980s. I think we will see even more progress in upcoming decades.
Q: What are you plans for Envigo over the next five years?
A: My plans at Envigo for the next five years are quite simple: to drive a culture of quality, continuous improvement and operational excellence. I have already begun identifying the areas in which I can make the most impact in this way.
Q: How do you ensure consistent availability of research models to meet customer demand? In what areas do you expect to see the most demand?
A: We ensure the availability of research models to meet customer demand in a variety of ways. The most important one is being close to our customers and understanding their needs. Through building relationships with our customers we can better determine the overall demand for research models and when they will be required, which allows us to efficiently plan and produce to satisfy market demand.
In terms of areas we expect to see the most demand it would be in our oncology models, such as Nudes and SCIDs, and in many of our industry-leading models that are used routinely in biomedical and biopharmaceutical research, such as the Sprague Dawley rats and the Hans Wistar mice.
Another key area of demand is the diet and enrichment products we supply under the Envigo Teklad brand, such as standard and custom animal diets and feed, bedding, and other products that enhance the quality of life for research models.
5 Questions with Pharma is a Q&A column in which Outsourcing-Pharma talks with executive level professionals about industry trends, company plans, and personal experiences. To participate, email Melissa.Fassbender@wrbm.com.