Articles

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…

Researchers in Auckland have decoded the structure of a molecule that may provide clues for a new type of diabetes drug.
Researchers in Auckland have decoded the structure of a molecule that may provide clues for a new type of diabetes drug. Through a combination of biology and chemistry, researchers at the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery have mapped the atomic structure of myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX), a key enzyme involved in the body’s metabolism of sugars. Details of the structure, outlined in the prestigious US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may allow researchers at the Wilkins Centre to create a new class of drug for the treatment of diabetes. Diabetes affects about 200 million people worldwide, and is estimated to kill four million people…

From October 1st 2006 the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 - is coming in to force, making it illegal in the UK to recruit or select candidates based on their age and to discriminate based on age whilst in employment rather than based on skills and competencies. This will apply to discrimination againt young and old, and it WILL dramatically affect recruitment and employment in the UK.
Here is a quick round up of the main points from the Regulations  According to the Employers Forum on Age: "More generally, employers must audit carefully their recruitment advertising and procedures. For example, minimum requirements for experience or qualifications are likely to constitute indirect discrimination against younger persons - employers in most cases should therefore avoid langu…

Nurses want Independence, Respect and Higher Income If you love your nursing career and are frustrated with your current nursing job than this is the answer for you. As an Independent RN Contractor you will achieve financial freedom, improved nursing career opportunities and recognition of your worth. In short as a nurse entrepreneur we have increases job satisfaction,more money, better hours, and increased choices; as to how, when and where you practice http://www.independentrncontractor.com
Many nurses are frustrated in their profession because they feel that choices are limited, income is inadequate and there is no respect for their professional ability. This is one of the greatest times in history to become a nurse. More and more nurses are becoming aware that career options are avail…

In 2005, 44% of 'mid pharma' revenues were derived from products that have been discovered outside of the in-house development pipelines. In fact, even in the absence of any further external sourcing between now and 2010, the dependence on revenues of products that came from external pipelines will continue to increase, coming to stand at 49% by 2010.
Datamonitor defines 'mid pharma' as those companies within the PharmaVitae company universe with less than $10 billion in ethical revenues in 2005, excluding Japanese and biotechnology companies. Within this group, the players can be broken down into further sub-groups: the 'big six,' those focused on the central nervous system (CNS) market, those focused on the cardiovascular (CV) market, and domestic players.  The 'big six' - Boehrin…

A new DPP-4 inhibitor class of oral anti-diabetic medicines, working by the novel mechanism of incretin enhancement, is poised to revolutionise the management of Type 2 diabetes. Data presented at a recent European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting suggest they will help fill the unmet need for effective anti-diabetic drugs without unacceptable side effects. Numerous agents are in development with two, Galvus (vildagliptin, Novartis) and Januvia (sitagliptin, Merck) awaiting approval
Type 2 diabetes already affects 230 million people and is rising at epidemic levels with a worldwide prevalence of 350 million forecast for 2025. The global population is getting progressively older and more obese, even in developing countries, and that increases cases of Type 2 disease with their a…

Rapra Technology’s First International Conference on Silicone Elastomers took place in Frankfurt on 19-20 September attracting over 120 delegates from as far away as Australia, Brazil, Russia and the US. Presentations covered silicone elastomer materials, liquid silicone rubber, the processing of silicone elastomers, additives and finishing for silicone elastomers. Delegates praised the breadth of the programme content and the practical nature of many of the papers.
International Conference on Silicone Elastomes Highlights Future Growth Rapra Technology’s First International Conference on Silicone Elastomers took place in Frankfurt on 19-20 September attracting over 120 delegates from as far away as , , and the . Presentations covered silicone elastomer materials, liquid silicone rubber,…

Counterfeit anti-infective drugs are a serious issue, causing significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in poorer countries, and having a huge financial impact on pharmaceutical firms worldwide. To make matters worse, high-tech solutions proposed and applied in the developed world are not easily transferable to the regions of Africa and Asia, where more than 50% of drugs may be fake.
The impact of counterfeit anti-infectives is highlighted in an upcoming article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. This article underscores the fact that the increasingly widespread production and distribution of counterfeit drugs is a growing problem, causing significant morbidity and mortality, an increase in drug resistance and toxicity, and reducing the effectiveness of healthcare provision. The fa…

The Hellenic Competition Committee has issued GSK with a favorable decision, indicating that it can restrict the supply of pharmaceuticals to wholesalers to prevent parallel importation of these drugs, without breaking competition laws. This is an important step for legally restricting parallel importation from one of Europe's biggest parallel trade markets, as Datamonitor's Dr Mark Belsey discovers…
In November 2000, Glaxo Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline), imposed restrictions on wholesalers' supply of three of its drugs, Imigran (sumatriptan), Lamictal (lamotrigine) and Serevent (salmeterol) in the Greek market. Parallel importation of these drugs was known to take place, whereby these drugs were purchased at a low price in the Greek market and then exported out of the country and into Eu…

Running clinical trials and recruiting experienced clinical personnel in the UK has certainly challenged many senior managers and recruiters over the past year. At a recent UK conference, both the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and a UK pharmaceutical website were quoted as stating that there continues to be a skills shortage across all disciplines; a lack of long-term educational investment and less development of the existing talent pool were cited as the main reaso
Running clinical trials and recruiting experienced clinical personnel in the UK has certainly challenged many senior managers and recruiters over the past year. At a recent UK conference, both the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and a UK pharmaceutical website were quoted a…

Strategic Research Institute’s Phase IV Clinical Trials (PCT) conference features a fully packed informational two day event organized into a series of discussions focusing on the major Phase IV and Patient Recruitment/ Retention issues of today.
Strategic Research Institute’s Phase IV Clinical Trials (PCT) conference features a fully packed informational two day event organized into a series of discussions focusing on the major Phase IV and Patient Recruitment/ Retention issues of today. Some of the topics include the following: Selecting and Qualifying Investigators Key Drivers & Growth Opportunities in Phase IV Trials Patient Recruitment & Retention Effective Use of Technology for Data Collection and Analysis Optimizing Your Post-Marketing Clinical Research The Phase…

GAIN VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO: • How CMS’ movement toward P4P will Impact Healthcare and Payors Nationwide • Large Employer HR Strategy: How Aligning Incentives and Creating a Health • Information Exchange will Reduce your Healthcare Spend • Health Plans: How Data, Transparency and Consumers will Affect your P4P Initiatives
Pay for Performance in Healthcare: Strategies for Achieving Value & Improving Health Outcomes has been designed as the perfect forum for thought leaders in pay for performance and value-driven healthcare to convene and share critical perspectives on the current status and future of P4P. A dynamic mix of speakers, panels and case studies will provide the forum for interactive discussion and issue dialogue. Please join us in November 13-14 for this exciting even…

Highlights Include: Five Presentations from CMS including an Update on the 2007 Landscape Understanding the Short- and Long-Term Impact of Part D Strategies for Driving Senior Enrollment Innovative Approaches to Public & Private Partnerships Analyzing Patient Perceptions of Out-of-Pocket Costs The Importance of Pharmacoeconomic Data Securing Favorable Formulary Coverage in the Part D Environment The Future of Employer Plans
Please join your colleagues to discuss what the Part D market looks like today, how things could change in the future, and some of the critical short- and long-term considerations for all stakeholders including pharmaceutical and biotech marketers, managed care organizations (MCOs), pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and CMS. Highlights Include: Five…

i3 Pharma Resourcing focuses on the provision of high calibre clinical research personnel to the pharmaceutical industry, via our permanent and contract resourcing services. If you have recently been involved in the recruitment of clinical research staff, you will be aware that there continues to be a shortage of trained, experienced CRAs. With pressures on both human and financial resources throughout the industry, new staff are required to “hit the ground running”.
Background for clients i3 Pharma Resourcing focuses on the provision of high calibre clinical research personnel to the pharmaceutical industry, via our permanent and contract resourcing services. If you have recently been involved in the recruitment of clinical research staff,  you will be aware that there continues t…

Generic pharmaceutical manufacturers should proceed with caution when developing generic versions of Avandia®, (Rosiglitazone maleate), according to experts at GenericsWeb...
Avandia® Patents Afford Protection Against Generic Competition , Sep 5, 2006 – Generic pharmaceutical manufacturers should proceed with caution when developing generic versions of Avandia®, (Rosiglitazone maleate), according to experts at GenericsWeb.  Analysis of their Pipeline Patent Intelligence reveals that the patent situation surrounding this product is very complex, and is likely to be problematic for lesser-informed generic developers, especially those developing for multiple markets. GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) oral medicine Avandia® is indicated to treat type 2 diabetes and belongs to the group of thiazol…

We would like to invite you to join us here at our offices in Maidenhead, Berkshire from 10.30 onwards to 14.30.
Saturday 9th September 2006, i3 are opening our doors from 10.30…………. We would like to invite you to join us here at our offices in Maidenhead, from 10.30 onwards to 14.30. You will have the chance to meet our experienced recruitment team for both internal i3 opportunities and opportunities with our Pharma Resourcing division. Please bring along your questions and an updated CV, should you be interested. We will also be holding a number of presentations during this time. We cover a number of areas…. Clinical Research Associates Data Management Project Managers Clinical Trials Administrators Finance Entry- level opportunities (partnership training course) Quality Assuran…

In an earlier field report, we looked at some of the issues surrounding manufacturing process instructions (MPIs) and manufacturing process records (MPRs). I want to look at the issue of recording data in MPRs in more detail, as the format of your MPR has a huge impact on its usability and therefore the error rate.
There are a number of different aspects to data recording and formatting. Each is considered separately below. Overall structure Structure is important for two reasons: it helps your users find their way around, and it can help to reduce the number of signatures required in the document.The structure of your MPR is necessarily related to the structure of your MPI; indeed, the two may be combined as one document. If your instructions are just that – a list of instructions with n…

Paul Hawkins, the General Secretary for the Health and Beauty Association, tells us his philosophy for career progression and how the H&BA’s new website will help them to progress. The website itself promotes HBA’s attempt to bring Health and Beauty companies together in debating and discussing how to develop and adapt the industry to meet changing customer and consumer needs. Paul hopes the move towards e-business will do just that.
Focus On: Paul Hawkins Paul Hawkins, the General Secretary for the Health and Beauty Association, tells us his philosophy for career progression and how the H&BA’s new website will help them to progress.  The website itself promotes HBA’s attempt to bring Health and Beauty companies together in debating and discussing how to develop and adapt the in…