Managing R&D in time of the COVID-19 lockdown
This article was co-authored by Dr. Sameeh M. Salama, Chief Scientific Officer at Brass Dome Ventures Ltd. and Fedora Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Dr. Renata Jankowska, Director of Research at Fedora Pharmaceuticals Inc.
When our government issued a stay-home requirement for all non-essential businesses as cases of COVID-19 in Canada were on the rise, ours was among the first to abide. The threat of person-to-person transmission even for a small organization such as ours was too high of a risk to take. Now on our fourth week of working from home, and as the numbers of COVID-19 victims continue to climb, it feels more and more that the decision to stay and work from home was the right one. The projections for this new reality suggest an even longer period of isolation. To say that the reality has hit us hard will be the century’s biggest understatement. However, we adapt and adjust our lives to this new reality. Even for an organization as ours which is used to working semi-virtually, there is still a period of adjustment.
At Fedora Pharmaceuticals Inc., we conduct research in the life sciences field, and more specifically, we discover and develop new antibiotics to tackle those hard to treat bacterial infections (how ironic)! Since the very inception of our company, we decided that the business will be run almost entirely semi-virtually. Meaning that we will have a small core scientific and administrative team but outsource all of our research activities to contract research organizations (CRO). Those CROs are located locally, nationally, and globally. This business model is attractive to small biotechnology companies in particular as it directs whatever precious funds it raises towards the core of the business: research. Gone are the days when young small companies raised hundreds of millions of dollars and built amazing looking laboratories and offices in very expensive sunny geographical locations. That technology bubble of the late 1990s has long burst. Now, every dollar raised by biotechnology businesses is counted and is only spent on research that move their products closer to market. We were (are) no different. What made the decision to go semi-virtual easier in our case was the fact that our entire team has come from and worked (in some cases, for decades) within the CRO industry, either as scientists or as administrators. We know what it takes to run a CRO, how to make it run efficiently and that the clients’ timelines are critical to their survival.
Gone are the days when young small companies raised hundreds of millions of dollars and built amazing looking laboratories and offices in very expensive sunny geographical locations.
In essence, we put ourselves in the clients’ shoes and felt the pressures they were under to deliver to their respective teams the results or products they so badly desired. We knew that their success depended on our success. So even though it was, after all, the client that would get the most benefit, we felt great satisfaction every time we delivered a product or new sets of data accurately and on time. So, when we left the CRO business to create our current business model on the “other side of the fence”, we knew very well what we should, and could, expect our CROs to deliver. Thus, for several years now, we have been able to select CROs that we felt can confidently deliver products and services enabling us to run our research virtually. By doing so, we have been able to save millions of dollars that otherwise would have been spent on buildings, laboratories and equipment. Our daily routines are spent on conference calls with CROs, suppliers, and collaborators. We have time to review and be critical of data and products delivered and have plenty of time to plan next steps and remain focused on the overall objectives of the projects.
So, you would think that shifting from working in a semi-virtual office environment to working from home would be a natural step. Well, not quite so. There are a few golden rules that one must learn very early in the process in order to make the work-from-home experience efficient for both for the employees and your employers. Of course, nothing replaces that physical presence of your teammates. But, if done right, you can expect to get the most out of this period of isolation while still keeping the peace with others in your household.
There are a few golden rules that one must learn very early in the process in order to make the work-from-home experience efficient for both the employees and your employers.
One key thing to do to get the most out of your working-from-home day starts with your mindset. You really need to keep a working mind routine. In other words, the Monday to Friday mindset that you had while working in the office MUST continue in the new isolation. Remember that you are NOT on vacation, although it might feel like it at times. Just as you did before, wake up at the same time daily and run the usual morning routine. Some say, even dress as if you are going to the office. Set up an isolated and quiet corner of your house and let everyone in your household know that this is your office space, and all must respect that. It might be more difficult when you have little kids, but alternating times with your spouse or assistance from an older child can work too. Once in your “home office” remain engaged with your colleagues regularly. Remember, they are just like you, looking for company. You may find that keeping your phone handy is a plus (as opposed to a distraction in a regular office environment). It’s even a good idea to invest in a set of AirPods. Try to phone your colleagues as often as possible, even to chat. Invest in a monthly Zoom (or similar) membership. That $20/month membership is worth it. Like us, you will wonder how you lived without it. More than just keeping in touch, our CEO arranges regular weekly Zoom staff meetings.
Remember that you are NOT on vacation, although it might feel like it at times.
We talk about work, COVID-19 and occasionally, we get a visit by Georgy, the CEO’s dog who pops in to say “hi”. Maintain the usual coffee and lunch breaks. For those of us with teenage kids, this will give you a chance to check and make sure that they have not yet managed to burn down the house, and to check the updates from your state/provincial Chief Public Health Officer. At 4:30, Turn your PC off and head down to spend the rest of the day with my family. Weekends are yours too. Remember, forgetting what day of the week it is is normal here. However, by keeping with this routine, you may be able to still keep that mental clock working.
So, is this ideal? Not for a second. Can we manage to still keep a business running? Well, yes, but only if we work extra hard to remain connected. Plan for when we return to normal, as this is NOT normal and it will end. Organize your files, read those scientific or business articles that have been collecting dust and waiting for that “when I have time” moment. Better still, write a blog.
