Editor's desk: Reflections

In his last editor's desk, Reece Armstrong reflects on his time at the helm of European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer. 

For a long time now, European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s content has been influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. That I’ve worked on this title at such a time has been remarkable. Seeing the response of the life sciences industry was nothing short of inspiring and despite the challenges, the tragic death toll and restrictions on living, the industry’s actions compounded the fact that this is a sector which ultimately wants to do good. 

The pharma industry had to adapt to the challenges of Covid-19 much like the rest of us and this has been reflected in developments across the sector’s entire supply chain. We’ve seen remote working start to become a core component in clinical trials, logistics suppliers work out the best ways to transport crucial therapies and vaccines, and regulators find ways to expedite approvals so people would have some form of protection against the virus. 

If this editor’s letter sounds reflective, well that’s because it is. This will be the last edition I helm for European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer and as such I can’t help but consider the journey this title has been on as we’ve navigated the complexity and developments of the industry. And for all that Covid-19 has dominated in recent years, there have been many other fascinating topics that we’ve covered.

Rising environmental concerns within the industry, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer care, and the provision of mental health treatments using psychedelic compounds - these are just some of the topics that stick in my mind when I think of European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer. So too do the fascinating and – admittedly - far more intelligent people than I, that have kindly given me their time and attention. 

But still Covid-19 lingers. Here in the UK cases are rising again and the government’s decision to remove restrictions in England means that people are vulnerable. It seems strange that, when at the start of the pandemic people were more cautious of the virus and its spread, restrictions should now be casually thrown away to play up to some vague notion of nation-wide freedom. Now, with testing limited, masks optional and isolating no longer required, the choice has been placed firmly on the shoulders of the public to control the spread of Covid-19.

Undoubtedly the government will stand behind the success of its vaccine rollout to ensure it is staying on top of the pandemic. However, people should remember that it was the hard work of the brilliant scientists, academics and all those working in life sciences that helped us get through the worst of the pandemic.

Truly, it’s been a pleasure.