Pharmaco - Articles

Why do some people have allergies and some not? And why has the prevalence of allergic disorders been increasing over the past century, especially in industrialised, developed countries?
The hygiene hypothesis tries to explain why some people have allergies and some do not, and why the prevalence of allergic disorders has been increasing over the past century, especially in industrialised, developed countries. It suggests that the modern obsession with cleanliness may be counterproductive; in childhood, at least, resulting in the immune system becoming too sensitive to infection. Our reliance on antibacterial products with new born babies, has been linked to asthma and other allergic diseases. The Hygiene Hypothesis was first proposed by David P. Strachan in an article published in the BMJ…

Which current or future therapies will drive the sleep disorders market from 2008 to 2018? What is the patient identification rate for each of the therapeutic areas? What is the present state of the disease awareness? What R&D opportunities exist for ‘new comers’? Which key companies are involved in the market?
This report will tell you. The report focuses on the market for following sleep disorders: • Insomnia • Restless legs syndrome (RLS) • Narcolepsy and • Obstructive Sleep Apnoea / Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS) More than 80 sleep disorders have been identified. They affect over 200 million people worldwide. The market penetration for insomnia drugs has not reached saturation point. Opportunities remain. But with the introduction of several new products the market is set to see cha…

Forget sweat patches, VPLs and spots…a new survey commissioned by Kleenex® has found that it’s blowing your nose in public that causes us the most embarrassment! The survey of hay fever sufferers reveals that most people prefer a quiet sniff over a good nose blow when out and about. However, allergy specialists warn that the more discreet option actually makes symptoms worse.
A nationwide survey of over 2000 people found that a quarter of hay fever sufferers felt they were unable to blow their nose properly when in public. However, Dr Adrian Morris, a specialist in allergy and respiratory medicine at London’s Royal Brompton Hospital, explains “the only way to remove the irritant is by blowing into a tissue, thereby expelling the substance from your body.” Over half of respondents to the Kl…

Asthma is a significant health problem. Acording to the National Asthma Campaign, the condition continues to grow, and in the UK an estimated 8 million people are diagnosed as having asthma, with 5 million people receiving treatment. The cost of asthma to the NHS is more than £850 million a year.
Asthma is a condition that affects the airways – the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. When a person with asthma comes into contact with an asthma trigger, the muscle around the walls of the airways tightens so that the airway becomes narrower. The lining of the airways becomes inflamed and starts to swell. Often sticky mucus or phlegm is produced. All these reactions cause the airways to become narrower and irritated – leading to the symptoms of asthma. How do you get it? Asthm…

ADVANCED COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES FOR DELIVERING TARGETED MESSAGES AND DEVELOPING BRAND LOYALTY
ExL Pharma is proud to present our 3rd Annual Integrated Relationship Marketing and Sales for Pharma Conference -- Building on the success from the first two events, this year's conference will once again provide pivotal and innovative strategies to maximize your relationship marketing and sales efforts. The first day will feature a sales force stradegy and technology seminar, coinciding with two patient adherence/compliance workshops. The second day will be dedicated to Integrated Relationship Marketing strategy and also provide presentations on multi-cultural marketing. The third day will feature two tracks – one on direct to patient and one on direct to physician marketing. This is THE int…

Understanding the Impact of e-Prescribing on the Pharmaceutical Industry
This interactive webinar will address the opportunities and benefits behind eprescribing for pharmaceutical companies by addressing questions such as: * What are the policies and regulations behind e-Prescribing? * What are the federal and state regulations on e-Prescribing and how can pharmaceutical companies be supportive? * How will U.S. pharma deal with the opening of e- Prescribing to a broader international market? * What are physician experiences using Electronic Medical Records and e-prescribing in their practices? * What is the current status of using commercial eprescribing systems? * Timeline for adoption- When will e-Prescribing come into general use in the healt…

A Practical Primer on Preparing Your Company for Affordable and Compliant Data Disclosure
DISCUSSION TOPICS INCLUDE: - Evaluating current requirements and regulations - Developing a corporate clinical data disclosure deployment strategy - Determining what infrastructure and operational processes need to be in place to effectively disclose clinical data - How to handle proprietary information and avoid promotional language - Strategies for disclosing studies for newly acquired/merged companies and for partnership-sponsored studies - Understanding how results disclosure impacts publication WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Managers, Directors and VPs in the following departments: - Clinical Trial Registries/Data Disclosure/Trial Registration - Regulatory Affairs/ Compliance/Development - Medica…

Bell Pottinger Group has formed Bell Pottinger Health, a new business dedicated to leading the expansion of its health franchise with Shipra Singh newly hired as Managing Director. Simultaneously the company has brought in a life science investor relations team led by Mike Wort.
Bell Pottinger Group has formed Bell Pottinger Health, a new business dedicated to leading the expansion of its health franchise with Shipra Singh newly hired as Managing Director. Simultaneously the company has brought in a life science investor relations team led by Mike Wort. Bell Pottinger Health, which will report to Kevin Murray, Chairman of Bell Pottinger Group, will be led by De Facto Communications CEO Richard Anderson in the role of Chairman and by Shipra Singh, formerly of Hill & Knowlton, as Managi…

While having a sales force that can deliver your company¡¦s message to physicians and other health care professionals is critical to effective performance, the true key to success is having a sales force that can adapt that message to the needs and preferences of those they call on. Wilson Learning¡¦s research shows that versatile salespeople can be over 50% more successful than their less adaptable counterparts. This was effectively demonstrated in a study with a large pharmaceutical company.
Executive Summary While having a sales force that can deliver your company¡¦s message to physicians and other health care professionals is critical to effective performance, the true key to success is having a sales force that can adapt that message to the needs and preferences of those they call o…

Research led by the University of Warwick has uncovered exactly how the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae has become resistant to the antibiotic penicillin. The same research could also open up MRSA to attack by penicillin and help create a library of designer antibiotics to use against a range of other dangerous bacteria.
According to Dr Adrian Lloyd of the University of Warwick (UK) "We have reconsitiuted and biochemically characterised one of the steps essential to clinical resistance to penicillin in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Our data are likely to be extremely useful in the design of inhibitors of this step that will restore penicillin sensitivity to Streptococcal infections that have become resistant to this antibiotic. Because this step is conserved in other pathogens, there is…

Bridgehead International Board Appointment – February 2008 Richard Wallace joins Bridgehead International Board
Richard J Wallace has joined the Bridgehead Board as a Non-Executive Director, following 15 years at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he was most recently Senior Vice President of Global Product Strategy, accountable for Global Health Outcomes, Scientific Communications, Global Commercial Strategy and Business & Commercial Analysis. He also served as a member of its Research and Development Executive, Commercial Operations Committee, Product Management Board and Scientific Advisory Board. During his years at GSK and it's heritage companies, Richard held positions from Vice President Commercial (Canadian Pharmaceuticals), Vice President U.S. Business Development, Vice Preside…

In case you hadn’t noticed, mobile phone manufacturers – and the operators – are desperate to part you from your cash in return for a flash new device. So, to help you decide if you should give in to temptation, we have reviewed three of the latest smartphones that the market has to offer.
In case you hadn’t noticed, mobile phone manufacturers – and the operators – are desperate to part you from your cash in return for a flash new device. So, to help you decide if you should give in to temptation, we have reviewed three of the latest smartphones that the market has to offer. There isn’t any industry standard definition as to what a smartphone actually is, so for the sake of this article, we’ll assume that a smartphone is a mobile phone with extra, PC-like functionality. And the products…

Professor Alan Barrell raises some of the issues for those keen to spin out their research and head a new company.
Professor Alan Barrell FRSA., DBA will Chair EuroSciCon's 'How can I spin out my research and become a company?' meeting on March 14. In this article he raises some of the issues for those keen to spin out their research and head a new company.LEAVING THE LABORATORY FOR BUSINESS -Who wants to be a Chief Executive?Big decisions face all of us at many times in life. There can be no bigger decision for the academic, researcher or health professional, to leave the relative security of the laboratory bench and an environment of intellectual challenge of one kind, and pitch into the uncertain roller coaster world of business and commerce. “So many questions” said one…

Climate change will have consequences for the health of UK citizens according to a UK government report published on 12th February. The report, called Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK, has been published jointly by the Department of Health (DH) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
  Flooding and Windstorms Death from drowning, injury, mental illness and infectious diseases. can be just some of the health effects experienced after flooding and windstorms. Although periods of flooding and windstorms are increasing in the UK, actual deaths associated with flooding are still relatively low when compared to other countries in Europe, with only eight deaths reported since 2001. There is also a “very slight” chance that malaria could return to the South of Engla…

-The European Commission has granted a broad label expansion for Avastin in combination with any standard chemotherapy in first and later treatment lines for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. -This broad approval mean that virtually all patients currently suffering from colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body will now have access to effective new treatments that have proven survival benefits. -The approval is based on the results of two large internationa
Roche announced today that the European Commission (EC) has given its approval for the significantly wider use of its anti-angiogenic agent Avastin (bevacizumab) in patients suffering from metastatic colorectal cancer. This new broader label will now allow Avastin to be used in combination with an…

The issue of climate change is now upon us....and the news about ecology is unfolding with many variables. Here is my take on the image and branding side.
Suddenly, away from the hundreds of available colors, there is a rush all over the world to paint almost everything green; green paint, green ribbons, green wrappings and green fabrics becoming the top choice, causing shortages of the material, while green logos, green billboards and almost politically-correct green ties and attires are becoming the most fashionable and trendy statements. Just like a year-round St. Patrick's Day; the big green dress party has started. As if this process will provide that green-mask, creating the appearance of a fighter, presence of a leader, out fixing the global environment. Oh Really? The mar…

Roche to announce new breast cancer data pointing to better survival chances and potential for cure Phase II results suggest Avastin can be used in curative setting
Basel, 10th December 2007 – Experts attending the 30th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) December 13-16, will be amongst the first to hear new data that highlight further advances in the treatment of breast cancer with Avastin, Herceptin, pertuzumab and Xeloda. Data to be presented will show that Avastin may have the potential to be used as a curative treatment following breast cancer surgery. Results from the randomized CHAT study (Xeloda, Herceptin and Taxotere), will show that Xeloda when added to Herceptin and docetaxel offers important survival benefits for women with advanced breast cancer. In addition, data…

Spanish pharmaceutical company Almirall has unveiled a state-of-the-art new dry-powder inhaler in which it plans to market its lead pipeline compound aclidinium bromide for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The device, developed by specialist inhaler company Sofotec, acquired by Almirall in 2006, is set to become the gold standard in inhaler design, claims the company, and will aid patient compliance with anticholinergic medication.
Spanish pharmaceutical company Almirall has unveiled a state-of-the-art new dry-powder inhaler in which it plans to market its lead pipeline compound aclidinium bromide for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The device, developed by specialist inhaler company Sofotec, acquired by Almirall in 2006, is set to become the gold standard in inha…

Are you keen to join a young, entrepreneurial, fast growth organisation? We'd like to hear from you.
PharmiWeb Solutions - publisher of PharmiWeb.com - is one of the UK's leading providers of web based solutions to the pharmaceutical sector. In fact we're so good that we this year we have been shortlisted for the UK AOP Best Business Online Publisher 2007 Award. And we're expanding too. This is where you come in. We are looking for a Digital Account/Project Manager, to manage the implementation of innovative web and software developments for our blue chip customer base. Are you keen to join a young, entrepreneurial, fast growth organisation? We'd like to hear from you. You’ll be a good all rounder, equally at home with a web design and build project as you are with managing online adve…

PharmiWeb Solutions’ Managing Director Paul Hartigan was a speaker at the annual conference of the Pharmaceutical Marketing Society in London yesterday, November 26th, hosted by the Royal College of Nurses. He reviews his thoughts on the day here.
The theme of the event was Return on Investment in pharma marketing, with one of the key strands being ROI for emarketing. Having been to a number of conferences on this topic over the past few years, there has been an evident sea change in the general sentiment of the delegates from uncertainty and disbelief three or four years ago, to cautious optimism last year, through to a general feeling of enthusiasm at this particular event. Admittedly, this is a self-selecting audience – it’s unlikely anyone would attend without at least a passing intere…