Pharma Firms Add Research Staff

The world's pharmaceutical companies have been hiring market researchers at a rapid rate in the last year, according to a report from sector specialist Cutting Edge Information. Overall MR headcount is reportedly up an average of 21%.

The study benchmarks firms' MR budgets and staffing worldwide, and found headcounts increasing much faster outside the US (up 30% between 2006 and 2007) than within it (up 12%). Almost all the pharma and biotech companies surveyed (nearly 90%) choose to outsource their primary research needs.

The report, Developing Integrated Market Research Functions: Decision Support for 2008 also analyses the relationship between internal research strategists and outsourced suppliers. Its findings in terms of budgets were covered in DRNO last month (www.mrweb.com/drno/news7054.htm ).

Team leader Elio Evangelista comments: 'As the pharmaceutical industry is working to try and find new markets to tap into, it makes sense that market research headcounts would increase to accommodate a greater workload.'

Staff numbers rise and fall according to the flow of product launches, according to Evangelista: 'An increase in the average market research headcount among participating companies is a strong sign that pharmaceutical companies are confident in their pipeline products'.

Web site: www.PharmaMarketResearch.com.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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