During my first month at Amarex, I had the privilege of participating in BIO Asia, one of Taiwan's premier events in the biotech industry, held from July 26 to July 30. This event is renowned for its function as a hub that gathers stakeholders within the biotech industry, ranging from research organizations like university labs, pharmaceutical companies, production, and sales entities, to service providers and government sectors. The interaction takes place through informative conferences, exhibitions, and one-on-one meetings. Notably, my placement site, Amarex Taiwan, is an affiliate of Amarex Clinical Research, a global Contract Research Organization (CRO) that provides full-service support across all phases of research and discovery, development, validation, and approval. Consequently, being present at BIO Asia held strategic importance.
In preparation for the exhibition, my tasks included going through SOP training to understand the drug approval process and conducting background research on the pharmaceutical companies with whom we were scheduled to meet. This allowed me to gain a better understanding of the time and effort needed for a drug to be launched in the market. Based on FDA data, it takes an average of 12 years for a drug to progress from early laboratory discovery to approval for human use. The more information I gathered, the more it underscored the dedication and effort required to navigate the pharmaceutical industry successfully. Moreover, I gained valuable insights into emerging drug technologies, as some pharmaceutical companies were at the forefront of pioneering innovations. As service providers, having a basic knowledge about their product is crucial, and therefore, I prepared PowerPoint slides for my co-workers to quickly grasp useful information and provide their professional guidance to our clients. These experiences changed my perspective on joining an exhibition and made me appreciate the meticulous preparation involved.
Following the conference and exhibition, I was struck by the dynamic nature of the biotech industry, where staying informed is essential due to innovation being the cornerstone of competitiveness. This experience instilled in me a new habit of staying up to date with daily biotech news, FDA policy changes, and noteworthy drug approvals.
My involvement with Amarex at BIO Asia was an invaluable experience that enhanced my understanding of the pharmaceutical sector, the complexities of drug development, and the critical role of innovation. This event emphasized the importance of staying current in an ever-evolving industry. As I continue my professional journey, the knowledge and experiences gained at BIO Asia and Amarex will remain pivotal to my growth.
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Ami Matsumoto
Placement Site: Amarex Taiwan