Healthcare - Articles

It is easy to take a surf on the internet and look at the priorities stated in NHS policy and strategy documents. However, does this really reflect the true picture on the ground? What are the big issues for NHS customers at the moment?
It is easy to take a surf on the internet and look at the priorities stated in NHS policy and strategy documents. However, does this really reflect the true picture on the ground? What are the big issues for NHS customers at the moment? We raised this question with over 70 customers during the last three months. They were from a variety of roles in primary and secondary care. Here are the top priorities, in order of importance to the customer, and some of the key comments and insights they gave. Practice Based Commissioning: Practice based commissionin…

Together, the four major cancer markets, which include colorectal, prostate, lung and breast cancer, were valued at well over $16 billion in 2005, which was an increase of 14 percent in value since 2004. Driving this growth are innovative new products, line extensions for existing products, and the coming of age of the biotech industry.
New Biologics revolutionizing treatment of colorectal cancer The market for colorectal cancer therapies has increased by over seven-fold since 2000. The increase in the value of this market can be explained by new and improved chemotherapeutic agents now on the market, the introduction of key biologic therapies, and improved chemotherapeutic regimens which take into account various new options. The late-stage pipeline for colorectal cancer therapies is curr…

Abbott Diabetes Care today introduced the new Precision Xtra™ Plus (Optium™ Plus in some markets) Glucose Test Strip in Europe for use with the Precision™ Xceed (Optium Xceed™ in some markets) Advanced Diabetes Management System at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Athens, Greece. The new test strip offers results in just five seconds and requires a small blood sample of only 0.6 micro litre. The new Precision Xtra Plus test strip provides reliabl
Athens, Greece, September 13, 2005 — Abbott Diabetes Care today introduced the new Precision Xtra™ Plus (Optium™ Plus in some markets) Glucose Test Strip in Europe for use with the Precision™ Xceed (Optium Xceed™ in some markets) Advanced Diabetes Management System at the 41st Annual Meeting of the…

Dronedarone, a new Class III multi-channel blocking anti-arrhythmic drug currently in Phase III development by Sanofi-Aventis for the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) may help fill the unmet need for a safe pharmacologic treatment that effectively controls atrial fibrillation, cardiologists said this month. Sanofi-Aventis presented new data on dronedarone at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual scientific sessions held in Dallas.
Dronedarone, a new Class III multi-channel blocking anti-arrhythmic drug currently in Phase III development by Sanofi-Aventis for the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) may help fill the unmet need for a safe pharmacologic treatment that effectively controls atrial fibrillation, cardiologists sa…

Patients who could benefit from injectable therapies are a lot less needle-phobic than doctors assume, according to research conducted by pharmacist and behavioural scientist Professor Robert Horne. The “Open Mind” study presented at the 10th European AIDS Conference/EACS in Dublin showed over three quarters of patients would be willing to accept self-administered subcutaneous injectable therapy if offered.
Patients who could benefit from injectable therapies are a lot less needle-phobic than doctors assume, according to research conducted by pharmacist and behavioural scientist Professor Robert Horne.  The “Open Mind” study presented at the 10th European AIDS Conference/EACS in Dublin showed over three quarters of patients would be willing to accept self-administered subcutane…

Caution: Your CV is your personal data. My advice as a recruiter, with many years experience in the clinical research industry, would be to take care where you send your CV and make sure your data is treated with the respect it deserves! The important thing is to be selective.
Recruitment websites can be confusing, strange places to the inexperienced.  If you are not sure, select an established agency with a name you recognise.  Follow the link to their website and find a contact name. Email or phone them to ask for advice. If the website doesn’t give you information about their recruiters, maybe it is best to give them a miss. Using the internet is supposed to be speedy and convenient.   However, a common complaint we hear is that sending off a CV to some recruitm…

Due to increasing interest and requests regrding the subject Pharmiweb have created a new Avian Flu resource page.
Pharmiweb are (within reason) pleased to announce the integration of an Avian Flu resource centre onto our main site. Due to the seriousness of the current situation and the global spread of the virus, we have had multiple requests for information and further reading regarding the subject. Avid readers will have access to all the latest information and news regarding the migration of the virus and its effects on the consumer, the Pharma industry and how governments are planning to tackle this potential crisis. In addition to frequently updated news you will find related features, press releases, and useful resource links. Take a browse and let us know what you think! http:…

Due to demand, we at PharmiWeb have added a new Executive Jobs Listing to our comprehensive careers section. All these jobs include packages of over £100K (GBP) per year.
We are pleased to announce that, due to demand, we have added a new section to the site. Executives in the Pharmaceutical industry can now find the best selection of jobs with packages of £100K+ (GBP) per year. These executive pharma jobs are automatically taken from our extensive database of over 4800 live jobs, provided by our partners in Agencies and PharmaCos across the industry. This means that the listing will be constantly updated with new jobs as soon as they are posted. Visit our new Executive Jobs page here.

For those new to the industry, a quick round up of the common abbreviations and what they stand for might be useful....
ABPI Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry ADME Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion ADR Adverse Drug Reaction AE Adverse Event CPMP Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products CRF Case Report Form CSM Committee on Safety of Medicines CTC Clinical Trial Certificate CTX Clinical Trial Certificate of Exemption DBDD Double Blind Double Dummy EMEA European Medicines Evaluation Agency FDA Food and Drug Administration GCP Good Clinical Practice GMP Good Manufacturing Practice IDB Investigators’ Drug Brochure IEC Independent Research Ethics Committee MAA Marketing Authorisation Approval MHRA Medicines and Healthcare Produ…

Complete our user survey and you could win a £25 Amazon voucher!
Yes, take part in the PharmiWeb.com Autumn survey and your name will go into the hat for our monthly prize draw. Simply answer a few question and give us some of your valuable feedback, and each month we'll pull a name out of the hat for a £25 Amazon Voucher. It will only take a couple of minutes to complete, so what are you waiting for... Complete the survey

The prevalence of diabetes, in particular type 2 diabetes, is increasing worldwide. Type 2 diabetes increases with age, but recently has been affecting much younger individuals. In the UK, diabetes prevalence has doubled over the last 12-15 years, and is set to double again over a similar timeframe. The prevalence of diabetes in the UK is now, on average, 3.3%, though many patients are undiagnosed.
The prevalence of diabetes, in particular type 2 diabetes, is increasing worldwide. Type 2 diabetes increases with age, but recently has been affecting much younger individuals. In the UK, diabetes prevalence has doubled over the last 12–15 years, and is set to double again over a similar timeframe. The prevalence of diabetes in the UK is now, on average, 3.3%, though many patients are undiagnose…

Bristol-Myers Squibb was named today as one of the 10 Best Companies for Working Mothers by Working Mother magazine. This is the eighth consecutive year that the company has been listed in the ranking of the 100 Best Companies, and the fifth year in a row Bristol-Myers Squibb has been named a Top 10 company.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Named  one Of The 10 Best Companies For Working Mothers Celebrates Fifth Consecutive Year on "Top 10" List NEW YORK, NEW YORK (September 12, 2005) - Bristol-Myers Squibb was named today as one of the 10 Best Companies for Working Mothers by Working Mother magazine. This is the eighth consecutive year that the company has been listed in the ranking of the 100 Best Companies, and the fifth year in a row Bristol-Myers Squibb has been named a Top 10 company. Bel…

On Wednesday 22nd June, PharmiWeb Solutions and Microsoft brought together a senior group of sales and marketing professionals, to discuss how software and e-business based solutions can deliver competitive advantage for the pharmaceutical organisation.
On Wednesday 22nd June, PharmiWeb Solutions and Microsoft brought together a senior group of sales and marketing professionals, to discuss how software and e-business based solutions can deliver competitive advantage for the pharmaceutical organisation.   “In planning for this event, we were keen to avoid the usual traps of either speaking techno-babble, or failing to focus on business issues, and so I hope with our range of speakers that we were able to draw attention to how the practical application of technology-based solutions can…

Pharma Sales World 2005 will provide delegates with a unique opportunity to gain critical business information about how Europe’s leading pharma companies are addressing the challenge of improving sales force effectiveness. The conference will highlight the issues of accessibility, emerging customer bases, market changes in the next decade, sales force size and structure, targeting and segmentation, the new breed of representative, data acquisition, training and development, customer relationshi
Never before has the industry been positioned for such dramatic change as what the pharmaceutical sector is currently facing, creating more uncertainty in an already challenging market. At Pharma Sales World 2005 we have an exceptional programme that will provide creative solutions for the toughe…

Fractures resulting from osteoporosis are widely recognised as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. It has been estimated that approximately 310,000 osteoporotic fractures occur annually in the UK, with a consequent cost to the health service of £1.7 billion.
Fractures resulting from osteoporosis are widely recognised as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. It has been estimated that approximately 310,000 osteoporotic fractures occur annually in the UK, with a consequent cost to the health service of £1.7 billion. Over the past two decades major advances have been made in the management of this disease and a number of pharmacological agents have been approved for the reduction of fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteopo…

On Friday 16th September, before a glittering audience of local business Champions, Exco was awarded the highly acclaimed prize of Small Business of the Year 2005.
  The Small Business of the Year Award was presented in recognition of Exco’s successful implementation of a strategic business development plan, leading to growth within an increasingly competitive environment. The judges were unanimous in their statement confirming that Exco is ‘Truly Entrepreneurial, this Company is committed to achieving Best Practice in every aspect of its Business’.  The organization has benefited from a strategic approach where objectives are outlined and all staff are encouraged to participate in driving the business forward. This has lead to continued success across every division, a steady gro…

Any nurse can start a business, including two-year graduates and diploma nurses. No advance degrees are necessary unless your business includes diagnosing and treating medical problems. State nurse practice acts do no prohibit a nurse from starting up their own business as an Independent Nurse Contractor.
Career Options For The Ambitious Nurse Entrepreneur Nurses are taking control of their careers by exploring options other than the traditional roles of yesteryear. Independent RN Contractors are storming the healthcare field. There was a time when nurses were hesitant about cutting the ties from the employer not true today. More and more nurses are now enjoying the many benefits of self-employment. Nurse Contractors are now a large part of the nursing industry thanks to the ambitious n…

Epilepsy is characterised by a tendency to experience unprovoked seizures and is one of the most common neurological disorders. Over 2% of the population will experience a seizure at some time in their life, and recurrent unprovoked seizures will require treatment in approximately one-in-200 people at any given time. Treatment of epilepsy remains important in helping to reduce the psychological and social sequelae which follow on from uncontrolled seizures.
Epilepsy is characterised by a tendency to experience unprovoked seizures and is one of the most common neurological disorders. Over 2% of the population will experience a seizure at some time in their life, and recurrent unprovoked seizures will require treatment in approximately one-in-200 people at any given time. Treatment of epileps…

It is often forgotten that until the late 1950s there was no treatment for schizophrenia, or for that matter, any other severe enduring mental illness. The majority of patients admitted to asylum care never left: hence the peak occupancy of 150,000 reported in the UK in 1955. As an interesting comparison, this is twice the current UK prison population.
It is often forgotten that until the late 1950s there was no treatment for schizophrenia, or for that matter, any other severe enduring mental illness. The majority of patients admitted to asylum care never left: hence the peak occupancy of 150,000 reported in the UK in 1955. As an interesting comparison, this is twice the current UK prison population. The discovery of conventional (or typical) antipsychotic drugs made a major contribution…

According to LeadDiscovery's recent feature report, Pain Therapeutics 2005, about one and a half billion people suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain worldwide, driving the market for analgesics to nearly $23 billion in 2004. Many companies are investing heavily in the development of new pain therapeutics, even more so now with the recent problems to have hit the Cox-II inhibitors. Calcium channel blockers stepped into the spotlight at the end of last year with the FDA approval of Elan's Z
According to LeadDiscovery's recent feature report, Pain Therapeutics 2005, about one and a half billion people suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain worldwide. The value of the pharmaceutical market for pain relief reflects this seeming worldwide epidemic of pain, with the overall value reach…