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Once upon a time, head hunters were no more than common cannibals. Some people still view them that way, but executive recruiters are a vital link in a chain that keeps major enterprises functioning wel

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

l.

The top positions at any organization dictate the fortunes of the company, the shareholders and the employees ... and often the communities in which they are located. A good executive head

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

hunter can ensure that new company executives have the skills required for the position and the challenges ahead. He can also ensure that the right executive is chosen, one whose style will flourish in

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

the specific environment of that company.

However, modern executive recruiters face challenges to be effective. I caught up with Esther Barzel, co-owner of the Directory of Executive Recruite

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

s and Head Hunters Site.

Q: What are the main challenges of executive head hunters in today's business climate?

A: To start with, the geographic net has become much wi

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

er. A head hunter in , say, New York City or Toronto, can no longer rely on finding the right candidate right in town. In fact, the ideal candidate might be just minutes away by Internet, but he might

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

be located in another country or even on another continent. We are looking at a new breed of executive recruiter.

Executive Recruiter in the Internet Age

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

Q: The Internet should make his job easier, right?

A: Yes...and no. He has to post requirements in more places and sift through more potential candidates to find the jewel he seeks

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

. So his workload has actually increased.

Q: Plus, I presume, he still faces the challenges of yesteryear?

A: That's right. He still has to make contact with potenti

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

l candidates, conduct preliminary interviews, set up meetings with the company, attend to minute details, brief the interviewer, etc.

Q: What about follow-up?

A: Yes, there i

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

, of course, follow-up required after every interview, both with the client and with the prospect. It's a busy job.

Does the Internet Make Life Easier Or Harder For Head Hunters
ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a
>

Q: So how does the Internet make life easier for an executive recruiter?

A: Now you have online communities and bulletin boards, such as Monster.com, where

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ou can place ads for positions. This makes it somewhat easier to cast one's net. Directories like ours help head hunters attract clients, so they can spend more recruiting and less time on business dev

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

elopment.

Q: Don't online bulletin boards and directories just mean the head hunter has to spend more time in more places?

A: Yes and no. Online resources are more ea

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

ily searched than, say, paper. Our recruiter directory gives employers the chance to search by geography or by vocation, or by the type of position. This means they can find a recruiter that specialize

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

in pharmaceutical sales, or who specializes in accounting, or whatever field. The head hunter spends less time answering questions from people who will never be their clients.

Q: And

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

I assume it works both ways?

A: Yes, the recruiter gets resumes from only those people who are likely candidates for the types of positions he works on. The pharmaceutical recruiter,

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

or example will not get a resume from someone whose background is in aeronautical engineering.

Q: Wow, that's a mouthful. I don't know if I could even repeat that.

A:

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

Many executive recruiters could not repeat it, either. So the Internet is making it easier for them to receive resumes targeted to their field of expertise, saving them time...not to mention overexerti

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

n of their tongues.

On that humorous note, we thank Esther for taking the time to explain how the Internet is making life both more complex and easier for executive recruiters and head hunters

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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