Meet the maker: EPM talks to David Davies

Here, we talk with David Davies, whose appointment as the new head of development at Medherant marks the company’s move into clinical development of the ibuprofen TEPI Patch.

1. Could you briefly describe yourself?

Honest, accountable, risk averse and with high integrity

2. Please describe your average day in five words.

Constructive, focussed, supportive, consensual, productive

3. At what point did you decide to be involved in the pharma market?

I was conducting post graduate research at Bristol University, investigating protein secretion in gram negative bacteria and the possibility of developing an agent that would make the bugs more susceptible to antibiotics. The work was going well but I wanted to apply my knowledge in a more direct way and in a professional environment to improve people’s lives. Running anti-viral clinical trials at the Wellcome Foundation was a terrific first job, working with excellent drugs to treat hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV-aids.

4. What has been your biggest achievement?

So many to choose from… Saving the planet with my bee hives, helping to raise lots of money for terminally ill children, finishing the DW race (look it up) and beating a 6-foot-tall papier mache halibut on the line at the Dublin marathon… but my biggest achievements are undoubtedly my three lovely children. In a work sense, it would probably be my contributions at Futura Medical, helping to build a start up with £250k in the bank to a £100 million (at peak) company floated on AIM.

5. What would you say is your worst trait?

I’m Welsh and pushy; you decide!

6. What do you love about your job?

I love building teams of good people and watching them grow and develop as individuals and as a group.

7. If anything, what would you change about your job?

Not sure I’d change anything; every day is focussed on creating value and every day is different.

8. If you weren’t in the pharma industry what job would you like to do?

I’d run a global charity, making a difference to lots of lives.

9. What challenges do you foresee being important over the next 10 years?

Change is the only constant and maintaining an agile, nimble, flexible and responsive organisation in a changing environment is an eternal challenge. Being innovative and encouraging an innovative culture amongst your teams is critical in creating successful products in the future.

10. In your opinion, what will offer the biggest opportunities in the future?

Educating the regulators and consumers as to the benefits of targeted, transdermal drug delivery straight to the therapeutic target. In a wider context, the spectre of cancer still looms large and it would be wonderful to further eradicate this condition from people’s lives, possibly with a transdermal offering.