Global Leader in Cell Therapy Manufacturing Ramps Team to Support Drug Launch

The Client 

Our client is a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).

Market Overview

The post-pandemic shift toward remote work left companies across all industries struggling to find the on-site talent they needed. Compounding that challenge, the clustering of pharmaceutical companies in centralized hubs made hiring conditions even more competitive as many companies were vying for the same skilled talent within a close geographic radius.

The Challenge 

Our client has played an instrumental role in growing the cell and gene therapy field, offering clinical and commercial manufacturing services, development solutions and technologies to help bring new and innovative products to market.

They were recently hired by a cell and gene therapy client working to create a cure for sickle cell disease that needed help launching a new commercial drug. To ensure the first round of batches were complete on time for FDA approvals, they would need to operate on a tight timeline and meet key KPIs along the way critical to keeping the launch on track.

Our client needed help sourcing, screening and hiring 50 to 100 skilled technical candidates across a range of departments including quality control, quality assurance, supply chain, manufacturing, project management, facilities, IT and engineering. They needed to hire at least 10 contractors per month so the batches for each patient sample could be completed on time.

The client had initially used a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) provider but was quickly faced with significant challenges in finding the right skilled talent, retaining consultants and issues with onboarding. Their retention rate was less than 20%, with many candidates leaving shortly after being trained. Additionally, the hiring process from identifying a candidate to filling the position sometimes took over a month.

If they were unable to find the talent they needed, the creation of the new life-saving drug that could benefit patients worldwide could be potentially delayed.

The Actalent Solution 

Actalent outlined a solution that would focus on better retention rates, reducing time to fill positions, improving onboarding and leveraging a recruiting team of more than 20 specialized recruiters to tap a broader talent network to find the niche skill sets our client needed.

Our team met with C-suite level executives weekly to align on KPIs needed to keep the drug launch on track, provide updates on hiring throughout the ramp and discuss improvements with retention. As challenges arose with different shift and location requirements needed for placements, we were able to adapt our solution and recruiting approach to find technical candidates that met their new requirements.

To help streamline the onboarding process, we coordinated closely with the client’s IT team, Training department and directors to outline a schedule that gave hired consultants enough time to clear their internal systems. In addition to adhering to the strict schedule and holding weekly calls with the client’s New Hire Orientation team, we were able to ensure each consultant was set up in their internal system and ready to start on the exact dates they were needed.

Actalent representatives also conducted service touchpoints with consultants once a week so they could get feedback on performance in real time, which helped improve retention rates. Additionally, we conducted strategic business reviews with C-suite-level personnel and held department lunches monthly to further keep the lines of communication open with all members supporting the launch.

The Results

By having the right talent our client needed to prepare patient batches for FDA approval on time, our client was able to help their end client successfully launch their new commercial drug to help sickle cell patients worldwide.

Over the course of seven months, we leveraged our broad network of highly technical talent to fill over 80 positions within quality assurance (QA), quality control (QC), operations, manufacturing, engineering, MSAT and supply chain. In addition to helping drastically reduce the time to fill positions, our thorough screening, vetting and communication with consultants helped improve the client’s retention rate from 20% to 90%.

The close partnership and open communication Actalent’s team formed with executives — as well as our flexible approach to recruiting — allowed us to adjust our solution throughout the engagement and ensure our client had the staff they needed to prepare for the launch. We helped them double their batches, which allowed for more sickle cell patients to be treated — with the first patient successfully undergoing treatment in 2024.

Since the launch of the new commercial drug, our client has been engaged in supporting two additional large projects within the cell and gene therapy field.