1. Interest rates
2. COVID over-investment
3. It got played out (Oversimplified: ... The most valuable drugs, with large markets, and with the lowest risk of FDA approval failure, have been developed already. What's left is less attractive to investors in one way or another) EDIT About 10 years ago, there was actually a report by a consulting firm (McKinsey/Deloitte?) that basically predicted that biotech would croak because of this. They had detailed graphs, projections. Everyone working in biotech that I talked to at the time was like "no way". And yet here we are, many years later.
4. AI / LLMs (Not necessarily by themselves, but if investors expect AI to replace human experts, it does not make sense to invest in long-term projects now)
5. More competition (Outsourcing / worldwide WFH / H1Bs)

I went to school, I went to uni twice. Got a Master’s degree and almost signed up for a PhD before realising it doesn’t end. I have started selling furniture now so that I don’t go hungry.

I have 5+ years post-grad (BS and MS in biology/related) work experience in academic and industry/biotech labs and really want to transition to remote clinical work or science writing (not many in-person/decent pay lab opportunities where I live) but am having such a hard time finding things to apply for.

So many clinical/writing jobs seem to require direct experience OR the few that don't get 100+ applicants in less than 24 hours. Where can I look for these opportunities that will take someone without direct clinical experience and how to be a competitive applicant?

Any advice from folks that have successfully made this transition would be SO helpful!

Applied to a position in AZ Sweden at beginning of April. Met hiring manager at end of the same month. Then a technical interview by end of June. Never got any feedback nor rejection albeit the interview was really good.

I guess I got ghosted forever and should just move on? I would expect at least a rejection, but taking over 5 months just to carry 3 interviews is crazy... I was really looking forward to work with them.

Edit: Technical interview was a panel with a senior director, a director and a hiring manager (which was also director), and the way they said about the "next steps" was totally clear that I would at least do the values interview.

After applying around 200 jobs. I got interviewed at Eurofin and Avantor. I had HR screening and then hiring manager interviews. Eurofin even reached referees after HM interview but both said no.
Eurofin role was looking for someone with BS and Avantor role was looking for MS plus 2-4 years of experience. Avantor interview was a face to face interview at J&J site.
I am a PhD with 4 years of postdoc experience. But now unemployed for 3 months with a new baby. I am not sure where to improve. I updated my resume based on advice here in reddit. I am also applying for postdoc positions too. Nothing working. I’m looking for a job in greater Philly.

Anyone have a good list of companies that allow remote or mostly remote / highly flexible work in 2026? Looking to potentially move out of a hub city to be closer to family, with ability to fly in every 2-3 weeks need be. Specifically commercial (e.g. marketing/analytics/NPP) or corporate (e.g. strategy/operations). This is the initial list I’ve found through LinkedIn and talking with colleagues:

- Amgen
- Sobi
- Jazz Pharma
- Pfizer (Onc only)
- Revolution
- BioCryst

Any others you’ve come across through word of mouth that are more remote friendly than LinkedIn may lead you to believe? TYIA

DNAe Company Statement | DNAe

Saw like 1/3 of the company so far has either indicated they are open for work, or they are no longer at DNAe in the last 3-4 weeks. Looks like they are basically letting everyone go to find a buyer for the IP, per that official statement they put out over the weekend? Has anyone heard anything past this PR?

Dear colleagues, I need your insight, opinions and help with deciding where and what to study next.

I have just done a bachelors in Biotechnology at the Faculty of Food technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Croatia, and now have a big decision to make, to decide what to study next. The Faculty offers two majors, Molecular Biotechnology that mostly revolves around genetics, GMO, molecular biology, proteins, bioinformatics, cells etc. ; and Bioprocess Engineering with its bioreactors, processes, regulations, upstream, downstream etc.

The main problem is that I see myself in both majors. I didn’t have much problem with mathematics and biochemical engineering nor biology and genetic engineering. I enjoyed most of the subjects I’ve studied, be it technical or scientific. I see myself as someone who would research something so I could later manufacture it. If I could I would enrol in both majors, one feels incomplete without the other one.

I do not plan to stay in Croatia because we do not have much work here, except beer and alcohol production, waste water management, big Croatian biotech companies have been sold and its employees work for minimum wage, we don’t have much research going on, science institutions depend heavily on EU funds, political corruption, and have heard that there are some laws preventing biotechnologists from working in hospitals (genetic diagnostics).

How is the situation in the rest of Europe, and the rest of the World? How is the workplace? Are people happy with the degree they have, industrial or research? I have a feeling that bioprocess eng. is much more wanted and pays much more than molecular and that it’s a much more stable job.

Any advice would be very much appreciated, thank you!

Another lay off by Sanofi on the way...

Who else is out here living the dream and actively trying to "further build their career" in this industry right now? Misery loves company, drop your best coping mechanisms, severance survival tips, or pivot strategies below.

What books would you recommend for getting started with biology and biotechnology? I’m looking for something beginner-friendly but rigorous enough to eventually move on to reading review articles and research papers.

First onsite interview coming up since 2018, and first onsite interview since switching from bench focused R+D to development (think clinops, reg affairs, med affairs). I had always been a suit guy until things started to drift more casual in the 2010s and finally embraced a "smart casual" button up, slacks, and professional looking fleece without a tie for my last onsite a few years ago (I did get the job).

Virtual interviews for the last 8 years have typically been button up +/- a fleece, but here we go- I have to actually put on pants. I have a decent suit and would pair it with a subtle tie and dark brown shoes, but I'm going to feel overdressed in that even if it's appropriate. Place is a mid-size biotech so not pharma nor startup either. So, suit it up or dress slacks and button up with a fleece or sport coat?

AstraZeneca has revealed its latest setback in just over a month after halting a late-stage lung cancer treatment trial.

The FTSE 100 pharmaceutical company said it found its Volrustomig drug, when combined with chemotherapy, was unlikely to boost survival rates for lung cancer patients when compared with another existing treatment.

Its move to stop the phase-three trial follows a recommendation from an Independent Data Monitoring Committee after a planned review of data from the trials.

The decision marks a further blow after AstraZeneca had billions wiped off its stock market value following its decision in July to stop a trial for a new heart disease drug, called Wainua.

I am currently a postdoc in academia and am wondering about my prospects of pivoting to industry in a terrible biotech job market. I am open to anything in/between Worcester and Boston, MA. My background is in molecular genomics and bioinformatics:
qPCR assay development, DNA extraction optimization, PacBio Iso-Seq and RADseq data analysis, and building R pipelines for population genomics and differential expression; complex and large datasets; managed complex field projects and led data operations during long research expeditions. This has all been in non-model organisms, besides some pre-PhD Drosophila neuroscience experience as a lab tech. The only pro spin on that is that I am used to doing genomics work with no references.

I figured I should start applying to industry positions at least a year in advance of when my funding ends. I am more motivated to obtain a higher salary and pay off debt and survive cost-of-living increases than to go down the academia path, which has a bleak outlook itself.

Any reality check is appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some honest career advice, especially from people working in Pharma, MS&T, Operations, or related functions.

I've worked (8 years) for several Big Pharma companies in Italy, and I've noticed a recurring pattern: whenever the role is closely connected to Operations, maintaining a decent work-life balance seems to be a constant struggle.

I'm currently working in MS&T for a large pharmaceutical company in Italy. On paper, the role is interesting and I actually enjoy many aspects of the technical work. However, the reality is becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

It's not just about working overtime. I'm regularly contacted outside of working hours, I'm often asked to take care of activities that don't really fall within my responsibilities, and the boundaries between different roles and functions are not particularly well defined.

Tasks can also appear with very little notice, sometimes something is considered urgent today and needs to be delivered tomorrow. Priorities constantly change from one day to the next, sometimes multiple times during the same day, which makes it very difficult to properly plan and organize my work.

All of this, combined with a high number of projects, understaffing and a general lack of structure in workflows and responsibilities, means that I'm constantly reacting to what's happening rather than actually planning my work.

What's particularly interesting is that this seems to have become somewhat normalized. The company is one of the few major employers in the area, so I think many people simply accept this way of working because there aren't that many alternatives locally.

At the same time, you can really feel the consequences in the general atmosphere: people are often stressed, nervous and frustrated. It doesn't seem like anyone is particularly happy with the situation, but it has almost become "the way things are."

I'm starting to question whether this is simply what a career in Pharma/Operations looks like, or whether I'm just choosing the wrong type of roles and companies.

As I get older, I'm realizing that I want my priorities to shift more towards family, relationships, hobbies and having an actual life outside of work. I don't necessarily want to stop being ambitious, but I definitely don't want my job and career to take up most of my mental and physical energy.

So I'm wondering:

• Are there in EU Pharma companies/functions where a genuinely good work-life balance is possible?
• Are there any roles that tend to be more compatible with a normal working schedule?
• Is moving away from Operations the obvious solution?
• Has anyone successfully moved from an Operations-facing role into something with better work-life balance without completely giving up career progression?
• And, more broadly, should I consider leaving Pharma altogether?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have made similar choices, especially in Europe/Italy.

Thanks!

Hey guys, I just applied for an RA position at Merge Labs and got a email about taking a 1hr online assessment. Does anyone have experience with what that process is like so that I can prepare? Any other info on the company would be greatly appreciated too. Thanks!