Medical comms - Articles

Patients suffering from chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) who miss out on potentially curative surgery may respond to medical treatment with the dual endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan (Tracleer) according to results of BENEFiT, a multicentre phase III trial presented at this year’s American Thoracic Society meeting. To date there has been no approved medical therapy for the condition.
BENEFiT study shows Tracleer (bosentan) improves haemodynamics in CTEPH patients refused surgery Patients suffering from chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) who miss out on potentially curative surgery may respond to medical treatment with the dual endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan (Tracleer) according to results of BENEFiT, a multicentre phase III trial prese…

In today’s clinical arena it is the norm for clinical and medical departments to work with a mixture of direct staff (headcount), contract employees and independent consultants, as well as outsourcing whole projects. Companies utilise this mix for myriad reasons, including increased pressure to reduce headcount carrying costs demands for flexibility and to meet the clinical trial program milestones within a reduced time to market.
So you want to contract staff… what do you need to consider? In today’s clinical arena it is the norm for clinical and medical departments to work with a mixture of direct staff (headcount), contract employees and independent consultants, as well as outsourcing whole projects. Companies utilise this mix for myriad reasons, including increased pressure to reduce…

With in excess of 34,000 doctors chasing 18,500 training posts due to start in August, one might expect that a slick system would be employed to ensure that the best candidates were matched with the most appropriate jobs. And maybe that’s what the MTAS (the Medical Training Application Service - an online application system designed to allow juniors to apply centrally for training rotations) was meant to achieve. However, it had been prone to crashing, and many junior doctors claimed that it was
What’s Up (Junior) Doc? London, May 22 2007 With in excess of 34,000 doctors chasing 18,500 training posts due to start in August, one might expect that a slick system would be employed to ensure that the best candidates were matched with the most appropriate jobs. And maybe that’s what the MTAS…

Despite all denials, newspapers all over the world are simply dying. The gravity of the problem is not that the competing media like TV or Internet are at play it’s rather that the public all over the world prefers moving pictures in the palms of their hands over deciphering or reading between the lines of nicely arranged words spread out on a paper blanket.
The Newspaper Cemetery Despite all denials, newspapers all over the world are simply dying. The gravity of the problem is not that the competing media like TV or Internet are at play it’s rather that the public all over the world prefers moving pictures in the palms of their hands over deciphering or reading between the lines of nicely arranged words spread out on a paper blanket. The Children of the Millennium Historians will reg…

The results of an in-depth survey of over 750 patients across Europe launched today points to a crisis in the management of the rising numbers of people living in the ‘twilight zone’ of type 2 diabetes care.
IDF Europe, Brussels, April 17th 2007, 12.01AM: The results of an in-depth survey of over 750 patients across Europe launched today points to a crisis in the management of the rising numbers of people living in the ‘twilight zone’ of type 2 diabetes care. They are inadequately controlled on oral antidiabetics but under a false sense of security about the severity of their disease.1 The survey revealed that over three-quarters of patients across Europe wrongly believe their poorly controlled condition is well managed and almost half believe that they have ‘mild’ diabetes.1 The Choose C…

After a year or so of relatively disappointing results from Big Pharma, there seems to be a new wave of optimism sweeping across the industry.
In the past few days we have seen Merck and Schering-Plough announce results ahead of expectations, and now Wyeth joins the club too, with Q1 revenues up by 11%, earnings per share up 12%, and its Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Healthcare and Animal Health segments all hitting double-digit net revenue growth. Commenting on the results, Robert Essner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said “Wyeth’s financial performance in the 2007 first quarter was again outstanding. On top of that, the Company added momentum to our new product pipeline by successfully completing a number of important clinical trials for Pristiq for vasomotor symptoms and depressio…

Infusion-related reactions occur with a wide variety of therapeutic agents used in the treatment of cancer but have become a particular concern of the targeted monoclonal antibody therapies. A post-hoc analysis performed on data from a recent large study suggests a way of minimising risk.
Infusion-related reactions occur with a wide variety of therapeutic agents used in the treatment of cancer but have become a particular concern of the targeted monoclonal antibody therapies. A post-hoc analysis performed on data from a recent large study suggests a way of minimising risk. A simple means to help avoid the complication of infusion-related reactions (IRR) affecting patients receiving monoclonal antibody treatments, has been identified in MABEL, a major European open-label study of metastat…

The Appendage of the letter "i" to a word as an aim to create an icon is silly…
The Appendage of the letter "i" to a word as an aim to create an icon is silly… momentary, short-term fame and glory may be possible, but to create a long lasting, global, iconic mark is very doubtful. What makes an icon is also the exclusive longevity of its unique name, and for that reason, you have examples of Rolex and not iWatch, Panasonic and not iTV Terms like, interactive- portable- device were behind creating the name iPod, and has now become responsible for the race for the letter "i" to be ingrained in just about every product category, from: iCell, iCar, iBank to iBrick and just about every word including iCopy. Feeble minds somehow gravitate towards the copying process and feel secure by joining…

Thrombocytopenia, the bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of platelets, has no easy-to-administer or satisfactory treatment at present. However, eltrombopag (Promacta) a new oral drug in development by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has progressed to phase III
Thrombocytopenia, the bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of platelets, has no easy-to-administer or satisfactory treatment at present. However, eltrombopag (Promacta) a new oral drug in development by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has progressed to phase III following encouraging early results regarding efficacy and tolerability. Latest results of a phase II study were presented at the annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Orlando, Florida. Patients with too few circulating platelets (thrombocytes) experience problems wi…

With drug pipelines yielding fewer blockbusters and profits from branded drugs being increasingly eroded by generic incursion, pharmaceutical companies are looking to maximize the return on investment of their drugs that do make it to market. Consequently, reformulation has become a common defense by drug makers to prolong the lifecycle of their top sellers.
Pharma turns to reformulation to maximize ROI Reformulation is a popular method of lifecycle management. In fact, from 2002-2005, 39% of the total product launches from the 50 top manufacturers were reformulations. However, before embarking on a reformulation strategy companies must weigh-up whether it is appropriate to commit the required R&D, sales and marketing resources to the project, as opposed to dedicating them to the deve…

Despite almost 200 million people suffering from high blood pressure in the western world alone, the growth rate of the antihypertensive market is actually slowing, largely as a result of generic incursion. In fact many pharmaceutical companies, including those with strong cardiovascular portfolios, are turning their back on this market in favor of more profitable indications, such as oncology.
The number of sufferers of hypertension is expected to climb to over 210 million by 2015, however pharmaceutical companies with an interest in the cardiovascular face a number of challenges which will impact heavily - most notably brand erosion and healthcare reforms. The slow and declining growth rate does not reflect a stationary market, but the battle between the branded and generic drugs. The g…

AstraZeneca's third biggest-selling drug, Toprol XL, has come up against generic competition sooner than anticipated after losing its protection against copycat launches. AstraZeneca has responded by reaching an agreement with US generic firm Par Pharmaceutical to distribute and supply a 25mg generic version of Toprol XL, a strategy that could be used with its other drugs facing patent expiry.
Toprol XL was originally launched by AstraZeneca in 2001 for the once-daily treatment of hypertension, with the patent protecting the drug expected to expire in September 2007. However, in January 2006, a US district court ruled the patents covering Toprol XL extended-release tablets to be invalid and unenforceable. Following the verdict, Novartis-owned Eon Labs launched a 25mg generic version of the…

Inhalabe insulin treatments promised to revolutionize the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes by removing the 'injection barrier' from treatment regimes. However, while inhalable insulins will see a reasonable level of uptake, they aren't the sure fire blockbuster they were hyped to be.
The diabetes pandemic (driven primarily by type 2 diabetes) has unfolded in conjunction with the ageing global population and rapid cultural changes such as increasing urbanization, dietary changes and decreased physical activity. However, despite the advent of aggressive health awareness campaigns that draw attention to the health problems associated with the key risk factor of type 2 diabetes - obesity - the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is expected to reach the 40 million mark by 2012.   Commerci…

The treatment of asthma and COPD has dramatically improved following the increased use of fixed dose inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta2-agonist (ICS/LABA) combination therapies. Although Advair dominates the total asthma/COPD market, Symbicort's recent US approval and Chiesi's recent European approval of an ICS/LABA combination drug, signal a major change in the market dynamics.
  Sufferers of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are breathing easier due to being increasingly treated with fixed dose inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta2-agonist (ICS/LABA) combination therapies. The appeal of these combinations is three-fold: improved patient compliance, simplified disease management and the certainty of bronchodilator and ster…

The success of neuropathic pain drug Neurontin earned Pfizer its reputation as the "neuropathic pain company" and the US pharmaceutical giant faced very little competition in a relatively untapped market for ten years. Neuropathic pain is now one of the most attractive indications in the pharmaceutical industry but Pfizer still dominates the market.
With just five approved drugs on the market and millions of patients worldwide, neuropathic pain is one of the most attractive indications in the pharmaceutical industry. Estimated to be worth over $1.68 billion in 2005, the neuropathic pain market is forecast to grow to $5.5 billion by 2015, driven in the US by strong uptake of Pfizer's Lyrica (pregabalin), Eli Lilly's Cymbalta (duloxetine), and Endo's Lidoderm (lidocaine 5% patch). Indeed, the…

Recognizing excellence in the application of an e-business approach in pharma and biotech HR in Europe.
PharmiWeb Solutions is pleased to announce that is now accepting entries for its inaugural PharmiWeb.com e:HR award. This will be an annual award, to be  given in recognition of the best e-business initiative relating to human resources in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector.  This could include innovative use of web-based  recruitment and selection, intranet-based solutions for training and development, or some other novel e-business application in the Human Resources environment. The winning entry will embody technology leadership, and return on investment, and will demonstrate how effective e-business deployment can help bring about positive organisational change. The…

While there have been no new treatments approved for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in almost 40 years, there are some promising treatments currently in the development pipeline. Unfortunately, the ambiguity surrounding the requirements of clinical trials is preventing these drugs from being approved. However, faced with few alternatives, that hasn't prevented physicians using them off-label.
Imagine your body's immune system turning against you and actually attacking your bodies own healthy cells. Far from being restricted to the realm of science fiction, this is the incurable reality for sufferers of SLE and other autoimmune diseases. Unpredictable flares and remission SLE is a chronic, usually life-long, and potentially fatal autoimmune disease characterized by unpredictable flar…

It’s another Monday practice meeting, the usual drug representative has been roped in to provide lunch and is cooling her heels waiting for the team to finish morning surgery. The usual non-descript pile of sandwiches from the local bakery is stacked on the table and the registrar who has finished early has already picked the best sandwiches...
The registrar has struck up a good conversation with her and she thinks that she is onto a winner with this bright eyed and enthusiastic young doctor (little does she know that he is looking for material for the next Vocational Training Scheme session to pick over and analyse to look at the techniques used by drug reps to sell drugs). Time is ticking by and the partner from the other site who often runs half an hour late has not made it – the reps 30…

Despite being the most common cause of death from gynecological tumors, ovarian cancer does not attract the same level of R&D interest as more prevalent tumor types. While surgery still plays a central role in the treatment of ovarian cancer, platinum-based therapy, in particular, carboplatin in combination with paclitaxel, remains the mainstay of cytotoxic treatment for ovarian cancer.
Nearly 60,000 cases of ovarian cancer are being diagnosed in the seven major markets each year, and although five-year survival rates have been trending upwards, prognosis deteriorates as the disease progresses until by stage IV, the five year survival rate is below 20%. Surgery remains important As in other tumor types, surgery remains central to the management of ovarian cancer, even in more advanced st…

Noxafil is a new fungicide developed by Schering-Plough. Already marketed in Europe, it has now received US approval on the basis of clinical trials showing its superiority over fluconazole in preventing invasive fungal infections in immuno-compromised patients. Revenues derived from this new drug will help bolster Schering-Plough's Infectious Diseases division.
The FDA has approved Schering-Plough's Noxafil (posaconazole) Oral Suspension, its new fungicidal drug. The treatment is initially indicated for the prevention of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) caused by Aspergillus (a mould) and Candida (a yeast) species in immunocompromised patients. While healthy individuals are unlikely to develop systemic infections caused by these common fungi, patients whose immune systems have been wea…