Healthcare - Articles

It is estimated that there are more than 38 million people in the seven major markets with diabetes and this figure is set to rise to 50 million in 2012. However, despite this vast potential patient population, low diagnosis rates, the chronic nature of the disease, the need for combination therapy, the lack of an oral antidiabetic agent offering effective long-term therapy and the association of injectable therapies with poor patient compliance mean that a broad spectrum of unmet needs exists.
It is estimated that there are more than 38 million people in the seven major markets with diabetes and this figure is set to rise to 50 million in 2012. However, despite this vast potential patient population, low diagnosis rates, the chronic nature of the disease, the need for combination therapy,…

Epilepsy is a common condition in the UK, with an incidence of approximately 80 cases per 100,000 population per year, and a prevalence of 5–10 cases per 1000. Yet, despite this high prevalence, it remains a stigmatising condition, with occupational and social disadvantages imposed on the individual. Epilepsy is difficult to diagnose, requiring a detailed history, and is complex to manage.
Epilepsy is a common condition in the , with an incidence of approximately 80 cases per 100,000 population per year, and a prevalence of 5–10 cases per 1000. Yet, despite this high prevalence, it remains a stigmatising condition, with occupational and social disadvantages imposed on the individual. Epilepsy is difficult to diagnose, requiring a detailed history, and is complex to manage. The primary aim…

Morgan Levy (formally E-Focus Resourcing) has pleasure in announcing that we have re-branded to Morgan Levy with effect from January 2005.

The development of dendritic cell vaccines to fight cancer is an attractive therapeutic approach. Usually this strategy involves pre-pulsing dendritic cells with cancer antigen and maturing them ex vivo prior to administering them to patients. Limitations to this approach include the cumbersome nature of antigen loading and maturation and the limited immunogenicity of the cells. The company BioVEX have successfully developed viruses to load dendritic cells with antigen. Researchers from Baylor h
(Source DailyUpdates-Oncology ) Two of the most exciting novel biologic approaches to the treatment of cancer include the development of oncolytic viruses (see our recent report on this field) and the advancement of cancer vaccines. These approaches as well as the more established field of anticance…

The outlook for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) sufferers is bleak - current medication has a five-year survival rate for those with liver cancer of less than 5% in the developed world and even lower in developing countries. However, patients in trials of a new drug called Sorafenib have seen their survival times double. Datamonitor's Dr Lorna Fern investigates...
Liver cancer is currently the fifth most common cancer in the world, responsible for about one million cases and half a million deaths globally every year. HCC is a tumor of the liver that arises from focal scarring points in cirrhotic liver tissue, and its global incidence is on the increase, concurrent with a global increase in the number of cases of viral hepatitis and of alcoholic cirrhosis in developed countries. Some specia…

Despite the advances made in healthcare there remains a startling amount of the world’s population that is unable to gain access to even the most basic services and treatments. This is an issue that has attracted considerable media coverage and represents a challenge for all those involved in healthcare to overcome.
Despite the advances made in healthcare there remains a startling amount of the world’s population that is unable to gain access to even the most basic services and treatments. This is an issue that has attracted considerable media coverage and represents a challenge for all those involved in healthcare to overcome (1). For example, data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the mortality rates for children under 5 years of age is 6 per 1,000 births in high-income…

Britain’s hospital patients, led by Claire Rayner, today called for healthcare professionals to get behind the UK’s first ever Clean Hospitals Summit, planned for April 14-15, 2005.
Britain’s hospital patients, led by Claire Rayner, today called for healthcare professionals to get behind the UK’s first ever Clean Hospitals Summit, planned for April 14-15, 2005.Claire, a former senior Sister, and a recent sufferer of MRSA, said it was "essential" for good representation, or the public would wonder if the industry was concerned at all. The combined conference and exhibition in The Hilton London Metropole, will be run by the Patients Association, of which Claire is President. It will bring together delegates from all areas of the NHS, industry, and concerned public organisations. It aims t…

This report introduces the emerging field of oncolytic viruses and the various benefits that oncolytic virology can offer in the treatment of cancer. Clinical data suggest that oncolytic viruses may offer therapeutic advantages over existing cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation and may even act synergistically with these conventional approaches. This report evaluates preclinical and clinical data on oncolytic viruses that have entered the clinic.
Oncolytic virus therapy is successful in providing an alternative treatment for cancer. Viruses have now been engineered to selectively replicate and kill cancer cells. Over the past few years, new insights into the molecular mechanisms of viral cytotoxicity have provided the scientific rationale to design more effective oncolytic v…

The recent announcement by the FDA's associate director for science and medicine that sales of GlaxoSmithKline's asthma drug Serevent should be restricted, or halted, led to an estimated 3.8% fall in the company's share price. However, Datamonitor's Laura Harris comments that, with Seretide accounting for the majority of GSK's asthma sales, the panic may be premature.
During a senate hearing, convened following the withdrawal of Merck & Co.'s COX-2 Vioxx (rofecoxib) in September, the FDA's David Graham commented that the safety profile of five other currently marketed drugs should be closely examined. Pfizer's COX-2 Bextra (valdecoxib), similar to Vioxx, was mentioned, as were Astra-Zeneca's cholesterol-lowering statin Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium), Roche's acne treatment Accutane (iso…

At a recent hearing into the Vioxx affair, the FDA's Dr David Graham named five drugs that he considers too dangerous to be on the market. However, in his testimony, Dr Graham also cited Sanofi-Aventis' Arava as a drug he has recommended be withdrawn. Unlike the other five drugs, Arava has largely escaped the media spotlight, but there may yet be some tough questions asked about its safety.
Arava (leflunomide) is marketed by Aventis, part of Sanofi-Aventis, and recorded sales of $288 million in 2003. It is an oral disease modifying treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and may be next in the firing line for increased regulatory scrutiny, in the wake of the withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib). Dr Graham, the Associate Director for Science and Medicine in the FDA's Office of Drug Safety, cite…

Given the contribution of drugs to advances in healthcare it often comes as a surprise to those in the pharmaceutical sector that the industry’s public image is so poor.
A poor image Given the contribution of drugs to advances in healthcare it often comes as a surprise to those in the pharmaceutical sector that the industry’s public image is so poor. There is a growing demand for advanced healthcare and without the development of new and effective medicines further progress will not be made. The pharmaceutical industry is the major source of new drugs and its commercial focus has driven innovation. Unfortunately, because companies generate profit and as healthcare is an emotive subject the industry’s activities are often portrayed by the media in a negative light. The media and public ofte…

Unique intelligence from eyeforpharma: 'Barriers, best practices and measuring ROI for patient compliance programmes'
Get your hands on this unique intelligence from eyeforpharma: This report will : Deliver first-hand insight into the present and future concerns for implementing successful patient compliance programs Identify the most pressing issues facing patient compliance teams across the industry Recommend potential solutions to overcome adherence barriers and to maximize compliance program ROI http://www.eyeforpharma.com/pceuro05/report/4 For more information contact Izzy Wakeling on iwakeling@eyeforpharma.com or +44(0) 20 73 75 8522

Study data presented at a major recent conference has demonstrated that Wyeth's novel antibacterial tigecycline acts against drug-resistant pathogens in some serious bacterial infections, including MRSA. While Wyeth will have to work hard to establish tigecycline in this competitive area, its encouraging tolerability profile could give it a useful advantage over existing treatments.
pharmaceuticals company Wyeth presented a range of clinical data at the 44th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in October, including Phase III data from a clinical trial in patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections and from another in complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSI). The first trial, which compared tigecycline to Merck & Co's carbapenem Pr…

Influenza is a global disease which imposes a huge medical and economic burden inevery country of the world. The UK is no exception with one caveat - the virus is probably monitored and tracked more in the UK than any other country around the globe. Over the years, GPs have played a leading role in estimating the quantitative impact of influenza. This started with the pioneering work of William Pickles in the Wensleydale villages and continued with Edgar Hope-Simpson in Cirencester.
Influenza is a global disease which imposes a huge medical and economic burden inevery country of the world. The UK is no exception with one caveat - the virus is probably monitored and tracked more in the UK than any other country around the globe. Over the years, GPs have played a leading role in estimating th…

School can be a difficult place at the best of times, however for the 20 million plus children in the seven major pharmaceutical markets that suffer from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it can be especially troubling. This exacerbated by the fact that many patients aren't receiving the best available treatment, according to new research from Datamonitor.
The report suggests that many patients ADHD patients are adversely affected because physicians are sticking with older immediate release, short duration drugs rather than a number of newer long-acting therapies that are on the market. Hugely undiagnosed Datamonitor estimates that 23 million children and adolescents across the seven major pharmaceutical markets suffer from ADHD, a physician perceived prevalence rate o…

Over the past 30 years, numerous clinical trials evaluating a variety of different classes of drugs have conclusively shown the benefit of blood pressure reduction in reducing the risk of strokes and cardiovascular mortality. Moreover, such trials have clearly demonstrated that blood pressure is unlikely to be controlled with a single drug and often two or more therapies are required to achieve blood pressure targets.
Over the past 30 years, numerous clinical trials evaluating a variety of different classes of drugs have conclusively shown the benefit of blood pressure reduction in reducing the risk of strokes and cardiovascular mortality. Moreover, such trials have clearly demonstrated that blood pressure is unlikely to be controlled with a single drug and often two or more therapies are…

Altana has announced the delay of its US application for Daxas until late 2005 due to clinical trial enrolment taking longer than originally anticipated. The news will be of further concern to the company's investors, coming on the back of the recent announcement that another of its respiratory drugs, Alvesco, failed to win full FDA approval.
Daxas is Altana's selective phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-IV) inhibitor that is being investigated as a treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in partnership with Pfizer the and . Altana confirmed earlier this year that a US 12-month long-term efficacy study in COPD was still in the recruiting phase, which is likely to be the 1,100-patient OPUS study that will determine the effect of Daxas (roflumilast) in the treatment of…

Prostate cancer is the most common male malignancy in Western countries. Surgery and radiological procedures for localized prostate cancer offer the possibility for curative treatment. Prostate cancer also represents one of the most lucrative oncology indications for the pharmaceutical industry because drug-based treatment is often very effective at delaying disease progression, even in advanced disease, which encourages high-volume and long-term usage. The use of hormonal manipulation for advan
Prostate cancer is the most common male malignancy in Western countries. Surgery and radiological procedures for localized prostate cancer offer the possibility for curative treatment. Prostate cancer also represents one of the most lucrative oncology indications for the pharmaceutical industry beca…

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth commonest cancer worldwide with about one million new cases diagnosed annually. It is estimated that the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in the seven major pharma markets will continue to rise over the next decade. There is no gold standard therapy - the market is characterized by high levels of unmet need, large patient potential and high commercial potential. To mark the publication of its new feature "Hepatocellular Carcinoma" LeadDiscovery's analys
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth commonest cancer worldwide with about one million new cases diagnosed annually. It is estimated that the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in the seven major pharma markets will continue to rise over the next decade. There is no gold standard therapy - the m…

Limitations in the ability to optimize dose modification within the clinical trial setting represents a serious bottleneck in the drug development process. This barrier increases development time, causes the unnecessary early termination of valuable candidates and adds up to $300 million/drug in costs. Petra Biotek are set to knock down these barriers through their computer-based Cycle Dose Modification system. The positive impact that this technology is expected to have on the clinical developm
  [] :  Limitations in the ability to optimize dose modification within the clinical trial setting represents a serious bottleneck in the drug development process. This barrier increases development time, causes the unnecessary early termination of valuable candidates and adds up to $30…