women in pharma Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

Pfizer veteran pays it forward through AAPS mentorship

[Image courtesy of Adobe Stock]

When Cindy Oksanen started out at Pfizer’s Groton, Connecticut research headquarters in 1992, she entered an environment where female Ph.D.s in leadership positions were rare. Starting out as a lab scientist, she developed formulations for new drugs including oral dosage forms like tablets and capsules. “We would develop the dosage forms and then transfer the manufacturing technology to sites around the world,” she recalled. At the time, there were roughly 10 men to every female Ph.D., Oksanen recalled. “It’s changed now, but back then, there weren’t many female role models in leadership roles,” she added.

Oksanen quickly assumed supervisory and leadership roles in analytical and manufacturing departments. Over time, she led development of more than 20 drugs from scratch through to regulatory approval. “I learned a lot about how to develop a drug product,&#…

Women in Pharma: CRB’s Director of Digital Technology on why the pharma industry is captivating

Yvonne Duckworth

Yvonne Duckworth, CRB’s director of digital technology, says she was fortunate to enter the pharmaceutical industry straight out of college. “My first job, 31 years ago, was a wonderful opportunity as an automation engineer with an engineering company servicing the pharmaceutical industry,” she said.

Duckworth has maintained her pharma focus at CRB, where she has worked for the past 14 years. “Captivated by the industry’s unique challenges, I never left,” she said. “So, I might be a bit biased when I say the pharmaceutical industry is the best industry to be a part of.”

She says she finds that the ability to “make a difference in people’s lives” is one of the most rewarding aspects of her work.

In the following interview, CRB’s director of digital technology shares which types of projects she finds most rewarding. Duckworth also provides insights on Industry 4.0 and…

BioVectra chief commercial officer has played a pivotal role in firm’s success

Two decades ago, the Canadian CDMO BioVectra installed Heather Delage as its director of business development. She was named vice president of business development in 2014. In 2021, she assumed the role of chief commercial officer.

At the outset of her tenure with BioVectra, the company was beginning its journey to invest in large-scale cGMP manufacturing capacity.

A 30-year veteran of the life sciences industry, Delage has been foundational to BioVectra’s evolution from a small, founder-led business offering diagnostic products, intermediates, and raw materials to a full-service CDMO.

She served as general manager in 2018 and 2019 for the company’s large-scale biologics facility startup in Windsor, Nova Scotia.

Founded in 1970, BioVectra was originally named Diagnostic Chemicals Ltd. and focused on making small amounts of specialty chemicals under contract with a U.S. company. Since Delage joined the company in 2000, BioVectra has grown tenfold i…