The drug development process is slow but rewarding. When you develop a product yourself, you know it inside out.
Vetcare has been with me throughout my veterinary career. I first came to work here in 2012, initially as a substitute for the production animal product group manager in sales and marketing. I started my current job towards the end of my doctoral thesis in 2019. The best part about working at Vetcare is that I get to work independently on topics that interest me. I am very grateful for all the support and trust I have received, which has brought me to this point.
One knows the self-developed medicine well
I am responsible for the research and development of products containing vatinoxan. I plan and oversee studies aimed at obtaining marketing authorization for vatinoxan products, particularly those related to the lifecycle management of Zenalpha, and lead related research collaborations at Vetcare. I act as a scientific and technical expert and support sales and marketing. I apply research data to the clinical work of veterinarians and present the latest research findings at scientific congresses.
Vetcare differs from many other companies selling veterinary medicines and over-the-counter products in that we have ongoing in-house product development, which is significantly invested in. Product development involves a lot of financial risk, which is why many companies do not even want to venture into it. When a product is self-developed, you know it inside out. For example, Zenalpha, which we developed, is an excellent product, and I am very proud of it.
We receive many good suggestions and product development ideas, which we are happy to listen to. However, in practice, it is not possible to implement everything, considering factors such as the commercial potential of the product, the costs of its development and production, and existing competing products.
Slow product development
Before applying to veterinary school, I completed a year of pharmacy studies and would have become a pharmacist if I had not been accepted into veterinary school. However, I got in on my first try, and my pharmacy studies were left behind. My interest in the pharmaceutical industry had been sparked.
Before joining Vetcare, I had also seen the busy life of a municipal veterinarian when I worked as a substitute in Hämeenlinna. The physically and mentally demanding experience ignited my passion for emergency medicine.
Drug development is painfully slow and expensive because it involves a lot of complex bureaucracy that many cannot even imagine. Although I enjoy my work, it progresses very slowly at times. The work is not as concrete as, for example, when I work as an on-call veterinarian. For this reason, I also need other practical work as a counterbalance. I am lucky because at Vetcare, I have been able to combine these two careers.
Despite its small size, Vetcare has achieved a lot in product development; hopefully, this will continue in the future.
Ahead by a snout, Heta
Author: Heta Turunen works as a senior researcher in clinical drug research and development at Vetcare.
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