Pharmacy - Articles

In contrast to coronary and cerebral artery disease, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remains an under-appreciated condition that despite being serious and extremely prevalent is rarely diagnosed and even less frequently treated. This situation is now changing as physician awareness grows in parallel with increased use of existing therapeutics and the development of improved cardiovascular agents, gene therapies and devices
Special Feature - Progress in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (Source LeadDiscovery - January, 2005) In contrast to coronary and cerebral artery disease, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remains an under-appreciated condition that despite being serious and extremely prevalent is rarely diagnosed and even less frequently treated. This situation is now…

For people with migraine, today’s world is a better world than the one their parents knew. The last 15 years have seen major advances, giving us not only a much clearer understanding of the disorder but also considerably more effective therapies. Treatments exist that – if made available and used in the right way – can substantially relieve the majority of people affected by migraine.
For people with migraine, today’s world is a better world than the one their parents knew. The last 15 years have seen major advances, giving us not only a much clearer understanding of the disorder but also considerably more effective therapies. Treatments exist that – if made available and used in the right way – can substantially relieve the majority of people affected by migraine. Availability and correct…

The increasing incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) among hospital patients in Europe has led to a call to action for cost-effective preventative measures to be put in place by hospitals, to help minimize the risk of infection and the cost impact on healthcare systems. A consensus paper, developed by a number of leading healthcare experts in Europe and published today in the International Wound Journal, indicates the scale of the problem and the estimated financial impact on the health
High incidence of surgical site infections in presents a risk to patients, and an economic burden Urgent call to implement cost-effective, preventative measures in hospital 15 December 2004, – The increasing incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) among hospital patients in has led to a c…

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…

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…

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…

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…