Pharmaco - Articles

In developing generic pharmaceuticals for today’s market there are many pitfalls, the most significant of which is infringement of patents. Based on the significant costs involved with litigation or the lost revenues from being forced to withdraw a product from the market, patent infringement is a potential threat not only to individual products, but also to any organisation without significant financial resources.
In developing generic pharmaceuticals for today’s market there are many pitfalls, the most significant of which is infringement of patents.  Based on the significant costs involved with litigation or the lost revenues from being forced to withdraw a product from the market, patent infringement is a potential threat not only to individual products, but also to any organisat…

There is little mystery about what the next few years hold for the clinical research industry –it comes down to one word: speed. It is all about speed. The gauntlet has been thrown down and the companies that are able to demonstrate an effective and consistent approach to truncating the timeline of clinical trials will be very successful.
By: Brian S. Robinson i3, Vice-President, Global Marketing  www.i3global.com There is little mystery about what the next few years hold for the clinical research industry –it comes down to one word: speed. It is all about speed. The gauntlet has been thrown down and the companies that are able to demonstrate an effective and consistent approach to truncating the timeline of clinical trials will be very successful. Speed is not a capabili…

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing global drug development is the scarcity of new clinical research professionals entering the industry, bringing refreshing energy and ideas to their work, but lacking practical experience. Those involved in recruiting CR staff will be aware of this shortage and that experienced employees are seeking greater career management/development and rapid progression.
Bill McHale and Iain Jessup – i3 Pharma Resourcing Perhaps the greatest challenge facing global drug development is the scarcity of new clinical research professionals entering the industry, bringing refreshing energy and ideas to their work, but lacking practical experience.  Those involved in recruiting CR staff will be aware of this shortage and that experienced employees are seeking gr…

Electronic Data Capture (EDC), three little words that can divide the clinical research community like few others. To some, EDC is a panacea for all the troubles and rising costs of the clinical development process, whilst to others it spells broken promises, and forms the butt of many less than flattering anecdotes.
Electronic Data Capture (EDC), three little words that can divide the clinical research community like few others. To some, EDC is a panacea for all the troubles and rising costs of the clinical development process, whilst to others it spells broken promises, and forms the butt of many less than flattering anecdotes. But what is the reality, and where is the border between the promise of providers and the expectation of end users? This article is not designed to provide d…

Free Job Postings for UK Charity Organisations in the Healthcare Sector.
If you are a UK registered charity in the healthcare sector, we can offer you FREE job postings. So, you can access 160,000 visitors per month for nothing!   If you want to know more contact Mike Wood

New Blog for Jobs
As part of our continuing development and improvement, we have added created a Blog of our Top Jobs. This will be updated weekly and will also include any other news or information we think is relevant relevant to Pharmaceutical job searching. Check it out here: http://pharmaceuticaljobs.blogspot.com/

Dr Adam Meijer of the Netherlands-based European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS)§ has highlighted the vital role rapid testing must play in combating the global threat of bird flu. Dr Meijer makes his observations in the January issue of Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics.
Dr Adam Meijer of the Netherlands-based European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS)§ has highlighted the vital role rapid testing must play in combating the global threat of bird flu. Dr Meijer makes his observations in the January issue of Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics. Until now, the last requirement for avian influenza viruses to cause a pandemic – efficient transmission between humans – has fortunately not been met. However, the devastating effect of the A(H5N1) bird flu on poultry holdings, and he…

New data presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting in Atlanta this month suggest the problems associated with iron overload in frequently-transfused patients can now be managed simply with an oral treatment rather than continuous infusions of several hours duration.
New data presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting in Atlanta this month suggest the problems associated with iron overload in frequently-transfused patients can now be managed simply with an oral treatment rather than continuous infusions of several hours duration.  Iron was removed from the blood and tissues of patients just as safely and effectively with the novel once-daily oral chelator treatment deferasirox (Exjade) as with the standard older injectable iron chelator deferoxamine. Th…

Most patients who develop chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) can now expect to live more than 20 years from diagnosis if they are treated with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Glivec (imatinib) according to haematologists involved in the IRIS (International Randomized Interferon versus STI571) study. Before availability of current treatments, median survival from diagnosis was 3.5 years.
Most patients who develop chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) can now expect to live more than 20 years from diagnosis if they are treated with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Glivec (imatinib) according to haematologists involved in the IRIS (International Randomized Interferon versus STI571) study.  Before availability of current treatments, median survival from diagnosis was 3.5 years. Around 95 pe…

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…

Clinical Research Academy (CRAcademy) has continued to find top candidates for Clinical Research Associate (CRA) posts by running a series of Selection and Assessment Days in the UK. The success of the first event led to a second in November 2005 where clients from the Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research industry joined the panel at interview.
Clinical Research Academy (CRAcademy) has continued to find top candidates for Clinical Research Associate (CRA) posts by running a series of Selection and Assessment Days in the UK. The success of the first event led to a second in November 2005 where clients from the Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research industry joined the panel at interview. The 23 candidates were chosen from over 70 applicants who expressed a desire to become Clinical Research As…

Personality tests are commonly at interviews to calculate your personality "Type". It is likely that you will be faced with one during your career.
Personality tests are commonly at interviews to calculate your personality "Type". It is likely that you will be faced with one during your career. Understanding about personality tests can be a big help should you have to face one and the best way to understand them is to do one. (You try one here for free. http://www.peoplemaps.com )Your personality test results will reveal a range of things about you to a potential employer. Typically it will reveal your strengths, weaknesses and your preferred style of working and communicating. To begin with you will usually be asked to complete a Forced Choice Questionnaire if it is a sophisticated system…

Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) presents unique problems. While treatments for both leukemias have advanced significantly in recent years, Datamonitor research shows that drug resistance to the gold standard treatment for CML is emerging, while current immunotherapeutic treatment for CLL is hampered by prognostic difficulties.
An estimated 300,000 new cases of leukemia are diagnosed worldwide each year, with over 220,000 deaths attributable to the disease. While each type of leukemia has its own distinctive epidemiological profile, incidence rates are generally higher for males than females and increase with age for all subtypes except acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Fighting resistance The treatment of CML was transformed with 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…