Healthcare - Articles

Although ventricular and atrial fibrillation represent the most common cardiac arrhymias and are associated with amongst the highest rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, treatment options are suboptimal. New opportunities are however approaching the market, notably Cardiome’s RSD1235, paving the way for development by others.
Ventricular Fibrillation and Atrial FibrillationEmerging Antiarrhythmics in the Context of Current Devices, Interventions and Pharmacological Agents Although ventricular and atrial fibrillation represent the most common cardiac arrhymias and are associated with amongst the highest rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, treatment options are suboptimal.  New opportunities are however approaching the market, notably Cardiome’s RSD1235, paving…

Colin Williams, e-Marketing Director at PharmiWeb Solutions takes a look at the current e-detailing landscape and suggests what the future could hold for this much talked about tool for pharmaceutical sales and marketing departments.
Introduction - e-detailing, eDetailing, e-detail, eDetail, v-Detail, online detail…. Whatever you call it, there has been no escaping it over the past few years and with more people than ever who are connected with the pharmaceutical industry talking about it, this is only set to get worse…or better in my opinion! I’ve been involved in e-detailing since the heady dotcom days of 2000 and have been providing solutions for the pharmaceutical industry since then. While my frustrations with how long it has taken the industry to take full advantage of e-detailing hav…

ExL Pharma is proud to present the inaugural Pharmaceutical Advocacy & Lobbying Forum, the leading event for government and public affairs professionals to address best practices to obtain optimal outcomes on key federal and state legislative issues impacting your company. According to in-depth research and feedback from industry executives, this event is a much needed resource for industry colleagues to meet, learn and network on lobbying and advocacy tactics to ensure the delivery of innovativ
Dear Colleague,Within the dynamic political environment surrounding health policy, it is becoming more important for pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and healthcare companies to play a larger role in state and federal government legislation in order to have an impact on issues and policies th…

DailyUpdates 18th May, 2006: As the antidepressant sector continues to go through a period of turbulance we report on new data for one blockbuster from this class - Lexapro. Selected for special mention from over 50 journal articles today's feature demonstrates great timing appearing at the same time as our feature - Major Depressive Disorder. Today's edition of DailyUpdates can be seen here
DailyUpdates 18th May, 2006: As the antidepressant sector continues to go through a period of turbulance we report on new data for one blockbuster from this class - Lexapro. Selected for special mention from over 50 journal articles today's feature demonstrates great timing appearing at the same time as our feature - Major Depressive Disorder. Today's edition of DailyUpdates can be seen hereComparative…

DailyUpdates 19th May, 2006: Today's edition of DailyUpdates (see it in full here) carries a couple of important articles on renal disease. One loks at the outcome of patients with renal dysfunction across various acute coronary syndromes. The featured article however demonstrates the efficacy of Novartis' Benazepril in treating advanced renal disease
DailyUpdates 19th May, 2006: Today's edition of DailyUpdates (see it in full here) carries a couple of important articles on renal disease. One loks at the outcome of patients with renal dysfunction across various acute coronary syndromes. The featured article however demonstrates the efficacy of Novartis' Benazepril in treating advanced renal diseaseBenazepril offers hope to patients with advance renal disease - Angiotensin-converting-enzym…

Without treatment, an estimated one in three women will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime
Without treatment, an estimated one in three women will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime (1). The risk of fracture can be substantially reduced by oral nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates such as alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel).  However, although these are widely prescribed, they are not widely adhered to by patients. At least half to three quarters of women stop treatment within one year (2).  Reasons for poor adherence are generally ascribed to inconvenience and, in part, to upper gastro-intestinal (GI) side effects which are thought to affect around one in five.  Dosing is complicated. Tablets have to…

Despite almost 200 million people suffering from hypertension in the seven major pharmaceutical markets alone, according to a new report, innovation is scarce within antihypertensive R&D. What little innovation that does exist is being delivered by Novartis, which is set to launch two new antihypertensives in 2007 in the shape of oral renin inhibitor Rasilez, and the 'two-in-one' pill Exforge.
Despite almost 200 million people suffering from hypertension in the seven major pharmaceutical markets alone, according to a new report, innovation is scarce within antihypertensive R&D. What little innovation that does exist is being delivered by Novartis, which is set to launch two new antihypertensives in 2007 in the shape of oral renin inhibitor Rasilez, and the 'two-in-one' pill Exforge. Th…

EntreMed has initiated a phase II trial of Panzem in combination with Genentech's Avastin in carcinoid cancer. The trial will examine how the therapy fares against potential rivals and its possible use in other tumor types. With the blockbuster Avastin possessing the potential to significantly raise the profile of Panzem, the study will prove crucial for EntreMed's lead pipeline drug candidate.
EntreMed has initiated a phase II trial of Panzem in combination with Genentech's Avastin in carcinoid cancer. The trial will examine how the therapy fares against potential rivals and its possible use in other tumor types. With the blockbuster Avastin possessing the potential to significantly raise the profile of Panzem, the study will prove crucial for EntreMed's lead pipeline drug candidate.Carcin…

DailyUpdates 15th May, 2006: Amongst the 50 or so papers and press releases featured today two focusing on VEGF jump out as being of especial interest. The first, a paper published by Stanford University, reports on the anti-cancer activity of an oncolytic virus in combination with gene therapy. The virus was engineered to selectively replicate in and kill cancer cells . The gene therapy encoded a soluble version of Flk1, one of the VEGF receptors. The two approaches together produce effective a
DailyUpdates 15th May, 2006: Amongst the 50 or so papers and press releases featured today two focusing on VEGF jump out as being of especial interest. The first, a paper published by Stanford University, reports on the anti-cancer activity of an oncolytic virus in combination with gene therapy. The…

When not doing 'insane sports', Amgen's Europe chief Rolf Hoffmann is battling big pharma
At Amgen, the world's largest biotechnology company, health is not just the way people make their money. It is also a serious business in employees' personal lives. The California-based company has America's largest cycling club and if you want to get into the gym at lunchtime but have not booked a spot on the treadmill, forget about it. Even by this company's energetic standards, Rolf Hoffmann, head of Amgen's international operations, takes his exercise more seriously than most. A former Olympic swimmer for Germany, Mr Hoffmann is a self-confessed addict to "iron-man and insane, long-distance events". This summer, the 47-year-old will compete in a 200 mile race across Switzerland - one of Amgen'…

This summit aims to provide both strategic and practical information that will ensure that organisations can prepare for and survive what is now considered to be the inevitable pandemic. Professor Hugh Pennington from the Department of Medical Microbiology at University of Aberdeen will repeat his warning that, “Only one thing is certain and that is that there will be a pandemic.”
The topics to be covered at the Summit will stress that comprehensive plans must cover seemingly diverse aspects such as legal policy, staff travel, quarantine arrangements, as well as controlling rumour, speculation and scaremongering that can easily rage out of control If you or your team wish to attend , you can email me or register through one of the options below. You can view the programme and…

DailyUpdates 12th May, 2006 (click here for entire bulletin): Today appears to be cancer vaccine day with two important announements being made. First off, Genitope Corporation announce the initiation of an ealry phase clinical trial of their MyVax idiotype immunotherapy; this was followed by an announcement by Biovest reporting that fast track status had been awarded to their phase 3 candidate, BiovaxID. This follows in the footsteps of the company's announcement that the FDA had approved sale
DailyUpdates 12th May, 2006 (click here for entire bulletin): Today appears to be cancer vaccine day with two important announements being made. First off, Genitope Corporation announce the initiation of an ealry phase clinical trial of their MyVax idiotype immunotherapy; this was followed by an ann…

A new report estimates that there will be approximately 84,000 cases of adult and childhood leukemia in the world's seven major pharmaceutical markets in 2006. Acute leukemias will account for 43% of these cases, and, although this market is relatively small compared to other cancer types, the clear unmet needs and regulatory incentives should help encourage drug makers.
Rlapse rates high Unfortunately, relapse rates following treatment for AML and ALL are high, and current treatments offer little chance of long-term survival for most patients. While developmental drugs in this area have the opportunity to garner orphan drug designation and fast track approval status by the FDA, given the niche nature of treatments for this form of cancer, the return on investment for developers of novel…

This Conference will provide a platform for intellectual discourse in order to answer these questions and to discuss other pressing issues regarding the pharmaceutical industry in China in particular, and the world in general. Opportunities and challenges within the whole value chain, from research and development down to sales and marketing will be discussed and solutions put forward for the benefits of attendees.
WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THIS CONFERENCE We believe that the quality of a conference program comes from listening to the requests and advice given by our target market. We pride ourselves in providing the most-up-to date subject matter suggested by the market in an environment that is conducive to networking and learning. At this event, you will have the unique opportunity…

A recent Department of Health study showed that healthcare associated infection (HCAI) affects 8 per cent of acute admissions to hospitals. These infections can delay discharge home by up to 11 days. For the NHS in England this represents a loss of 3.6 million bed days, with a projected cost of £1 billion a year.
Maureen Bott, Product and Development Manager, Kalamazoo Security Print, comments on the MRSA and solutions to combat the spread of it. “A recent Department of Health study showed that healthcare associated infection (HCAI) affects 8 per cent of acute admissions to hospitals. These infections can delay discharge home by up to 11 days. For the NHS in this represents a loss of 3.6 million bed days, with a projected cost of £1 billion a year. It is well documented that transmission…

In many areas there is a long waiting list for CBT delivered by a therapist and these new programmes offer genuine help for patients, which ought to reduce waiting lists and give greater access to services.
A recent DoH statement states, 'Ultrasis Plc and CCBT Ltd have been invited to work alongside senior officials from the DoH and the Care Service Improvement Partnership (CSIP) to establish a framework to deliver the commitment contained in the recent white paper 'Our Health, Our Care, Our Say'. The commitment is to support Primary Care Trusts to implement all CCBT products recommended by NICE. It is expected that this guidance will be fully implemented across England by March 2007.' Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) combines two very effective kinds of psychotherapy delivered face to f…

COPD is a disease that will grow in importance in the future and it will have a major impact on society, particular amongst those that smoke. At the moment, although new treatments are being developed for COPD the pharmaceutical market remains undeveloped. There will be a high demand for effective medicines and so COPD should be an area of interest for pharmaceutical companies who specialise in the respiratory therapeutic field.
A disease on the rise Respiratory diseases impose a tremendous health burden on society. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2000, the top five respiratory accounted for 17.4% of all deaths worldwide (1). Worryingly, death and disability due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) was identified as being on the increase (1).   WHO defi…

Healthcare is receiving greater attention in Latin America than ever before and a number of countries in the region are in the midst of major reforms. The government policies that are being developed have important implications for pharmaceutical companies looking to expand in this emerging pharmaceutical region.
Healthcare challenges Healthcare is receiving greater attention in Latin America than ever before and a number of countries in the region are in the midst of major reforms. However, these healthcare changes are taking place in an environment that is very different to many of the industrialised countries of the world, and are complicated by the profound social inequalities to be found across the region.   The provision of healthcare is an expensive task and requires ongoing in…

SMi’s Clinical Trials in Cancer conference will provide up-to-date information on the current challenges in clinical development, with an insight into European and US regulatory requirements. Attendees will benefit from presentations on key novel therapies currently in development and how they are being integrated into clinical trials. Don't miss this opportunity to meet experts in the field as they discuss how anti-cancer drug development can be optimised and carried forward to achieve the u
SMi’s Clinical Trials in Cancer conference will provide up-to-date information on the current challenges in clinical development, with an insight into European and US regulatory requirements. Attendees will benefit from presentations on key novel therapies currently in development and how they are…

I recently ran a quick poll on PharmiWeb, to determine what level of awareness there was for RSS (really simple syndication). So...
According to our quick RSS survey, 68% of respondents had no idea what it was or how to use it. This is a shame as we, and many other sites in the pharmaceutical industry are  providing them.So lets start with "what is RSS?" - essentially its a data standard that allows data to be made available in a format that can be easily picked up by a simple reader you install on your computer. In reality there are several standards, but most reader software reads them all. What this means to you is that by installing a small piece of software, you can elect to collect news (or whatever information sites make available) from across the web, and collect them into a si…