Role of Statisticians in Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Industry

• Activity Number: 380
• Type: Roundtables
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 : 12:30 PM to 1:50 PM
• Sponsor: Biopharmaceutical Section
• Author(s): Nfii Ndikintum*+
• Companies: inVentiv Health Clinical
• Keywords: Problem-solvers ; strategic-role ; technical-role ; tactical-role

Abstract

Statisticians continue to play a critical role in academia, government, pharmaceutical/medical device industries, and numerous other industries. The demand for statisticians continue to outpace the supply; a 2011 report by the private consulting firm Mckinsey projected a necessary increase of nearly 200,000 professionals (a 50% increase) by 2018. According to an editorial by Marie Davidian and Thomas A. Louis in Science (volume 336, April 6, 2012), "Close collaboration with statisticians is the best way to ensure that critical issues are identified and solutions found." Statisticians are greatly valued in the pharmaceutical and other industries, and we must take our place at the table. Statisticians are not p-value and sample-size generators. Statisticians are "problemsolvers." The purpose of this roundtable is to discuss the technical, tactical, and strategic roles of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical industry. We also will discuss the skills that are crucial for our success in the pharmaceutical industry.