Articles

A growing demand for drugs and the potential for blockbuster returns make the pharmaceutical sector a rare bright spot in the current economic gloom.
A growing demand for drugs and the potential for blockbuster returns make the pharmaceutical sector a rare bright spot in the current economic gloom. But financial pressures and the looming patent cliff are having a potentially devastating impact on pharmaceutical R&D. Whilst pharma companies must adapt with the times, it is vital that the need to innovate is not overshadowed by the pressure to cut costs.These are challenging times for the once “recession-proof” pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The sector has been left exposed by the fast-approaching patent cliff and its devastating impact on revenues as some of the biggest earning…

It is easy to see Intellectual Property (IP) and competition law as opposing forces in a case of patent versus patient.
It is easy to see Intellectual Property (IP) and competition law as opposing forces in a case of patent versus patient. But in reality, both are simply different means of boosting innovation and improving medical treatment. IP rights allow companies to recoup sufficient income to reinvest in the development of new drugs, whilst competition puts pressure on companies to innovate in order to keep stride with market rivals. If the right balance is struck, both work together to drive the R&D necessary to find new drugs and treatments.IP is vital to the patent-rich pharmaceutical sector. The patent cliff is having a devastating impact on revenues as some of the biggest ear…

Many employers may think that once an employee leaves their employment, they are not liable for any further acts of discrimination; however, think again.
Many employers may think that once an employee leaves their employment, they are not liable for any further acts of discrimination; however, think again. If an employee (or ex-employee) brings a claim or raises a grievance alleging discrimination, and their ex-employer treats them less favourably as a result, they could face a separate claim for “victimisation”. The same is also true where an employer treats a witness or a “companion” employee less favourably. The issue of victimisation post-employment was highlighted in the recent case of Taiwo v Olaigbe and others where the employment tribunal was asked to consider whether post-empl…

Plans were announced by the Government (14 September 2012) to give employers more “flexibility” and “reduce employment law red tape”.
Plans were announced by the Government (14 September 2012) to give employers more “flexibility” and “reduce employment law red tape”. Below, we give details of the announcement:Introduction of “settlement agreements” and new template documents – the aim here is to allow parties to settle disputes earlier without the need to take a claim to an employment tribunal. It is proposed to simplify compromise agreements which are seen as being too legalistic However, just how far they can be stripped back into a simple form agreement which does not leave the employer exposed to future claims, will have to be seen. As part of this exercise, ACAS will also be prod…

PharmiWeb Solutions’ second Digital Breakfast opens new opportunities for Harnessing Big Data in Pharma
Delegates discovered novel strategic approaches to harnessing Big Data and the key challenges facing senior executives at the second Digital Breakfast hosted by PharmiWeb Solutions, specialists in delivering and managing digital solutions for the pharmaceutical industry.The event provided a morning of inspiration and insight from industry-leading experts, including Duncan Ross, Director of Data Science, Teradata; John Burn-Murdoch, Data Journalist, The Guardian; Beat Bühlmann, Industry Leader Health Care UK, Google; Mike Plimsoll, Industry Marketing Leader, Adobe and PharmiWeb's own CEO, Paul Hartigan.Watch highlights from the PharmiWeb Digital Breakfast!Follow us on Twitter @PharmiWeb, a…

Next time you pop a pill from a packet, spare a thought about how it got to you.
Next time you pop a pill from a packet, spare a thought about how it got to you.The process for manufacturing, packaging and delivering pharmaceuticals to pharmacies, surgeries and hospitals around the world is a complex one. It involves integrating information from hundreds of different organisations, each with a varying role in the overall process. To make things run smoothly and efficiently, each of these organisations needs the ability to easily share data with the pharmaceutical company making the product.This is particularly true for the Orion Corporation, a globally operating Finnish company developing pharmaceuticals and diagnostic tests − a builder of well-being. Orion (based in Espoo) develops, man…

Despite many pledges from Government to change the employment law landscape, this October’s legislative programme is a relatively quiet one for employment lawyers and employers.
Despite many pledges from Government to change the employment law landscape, this October’s legislative programme is a relatively quiet one for employment lawyers and employers. Many proposed statutory changes are still either currently before Parliament or still in the pipeline. However, as we look forward to October 2012 and beyond, there are still some changes employers should be aware of.AUTOMATIC PENSIONS ENROLMENT – 1 OCTOBER 2012From 1 October 2012, employers will be required to “auto-enrol” eligible employees not currently participating in a workplace pension scheme into either a qualifying pension scheme…

Cherwell Laboratories will be exhibiting at the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Sciences Society (PHSS) Annual Members Conference on 11th October.
Cherwell Laboratories, suppliers of environmental monitoring and process validation products for a variety of healthcare and pharmaceutical applications, will be exhibiting at the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Sciences Society (PHSS) Annual Members Conference on 11th October. On its stand the company will be giving live demonstrations of the DataTrace® wireless data logger range which can be used for high precision monitoring of temperature, relative humidity and pressure inside a process, or a product during manufacturing.The PHSS event, to be held at Norton Park Hotel, near Winchester, Hampshire, will cover key topics relating to controlled envir…

“Everytime you see a child with a helium balloon, imagine somebody not being able to have an MRI scan that they desperately needed,” says Tom Welton, Professor of Sustainable Chemistry at Imperial College.
“Everytime you see a child with a helium balloon, imagine somebody not being able to have an MRI scan that they desperately needed,” says Tom Welton, Professor of Sustainable Chemistry at Imperial College. As the professor warns that the helium shortage may soon impact the pharmaceutical industry, contract research organisation Melbourn Scientific, based in Melbourn Herts, is already responding.“Helium is truly a finite resource”, Prof. Welton continues. “With increasing demand from places like China, supply cannot keep up. We have already been warned that availability is patchy and we…

Across the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, nothing is simultaneously as important for patient safety and operational efficiency as the supply chain.
Across the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, nothing is simultaneously as important for patient safety and operational efficiency as the supply chain. From manufacturers all the way to patients there are a large number of transactions, each carrying potential risks to both patient welfare and the bottom line of organisations in the chain. Businesses in the supply chain need to take a pro-active stance to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.Whether it’s missing products, grey channel diversion or even outright fraud and counterfeiting, the impact that interference in the supply chain has can be enormous. You only…

The ability to sell yourself, develop new skills and offer relevant experience are just some of the ways you can stand out in today’s jobs market, according to recruiting experts Hays.
The ability to sell yourself, develop new skills and offer relevant experience are just some of the ways you can stand out in today’s jobs market, according to recruiting experts Hays.You should also prepare, dress appropriately and listen to the question asked to avoid common jobseeker mistakes.“Job numbers remain good in China but many jobseekers are failing to stand out and do themselves justice in today’s market,” says Simon Lance, Regional Director of Hays in China. “For instance, when they recruit an employer wants a proven performer who can hit the ground running and add immediate value to the bus…

There’s nothing like a tough market to force companies to take stock of their core business and reassess the best use of internal resources. Martin Magazzolo, global practice director of CSC Life Sciences’ Software Solutions Group, charts the move toward content as a service amid changing market dynamics.
Although life sciences organisations have a reputation for being conservative in outlook, keen to retain tight control over their information-based assets for fear they might otherwise compromise their competitive edge or customer safety, times have changed. With markets showing no immediate sign of recovery and competitive pressures fiercer than ever, pharma companies are finding they must rethink their business models if they want to secure their futures. And certain intensifying regulat…

2013 is tipped to be a milestone year for the global pharmaceutical industry. As a number of key blockbuster drugs face the expiry of their US patents over the next year, a strong opportunity opens up for manufacturers to launch their own generic versions in the US.
2013 is tipped to be a milestone year for the global pharmaceutical industry. As a number of key blockbuster drugs face the expiry of their US patents over the next year, a strong opportunity opens up for manufacturers to launch their own generic versions in the US. Since the US generics industry is currently worth approximately USD 73 billion and expected to increase to nearly USD 107 billion by 2016, 1 we’re likely to see a number of new entrants capitalizing on these growth prospects, especially from emerging countries lik…

The issue of gender balance within UK boards has moved quickly up the business agenda following last year’s Davies Report. Lord Davies’ Women on Boards report outlined the benefits that a mixed board brings in terms of skills and different perspectives and recommended that a minimum of 25% of FTSE 100 board members should be female by 2015.
The issue of gender balance within UK boards has moved quickly up the business agenda following last year’s Davies Report. Lord Davies’ Women on Boards report outlined the benefits that a mixed board brings in terms of skills and different perspectives and recommended that a minimum of 25% of FTSE 100 board members should be female by 2015. Across Europe the topic is also rising in importance, with a growing feeling that quotas may soon be imposed.How do…

Despite many pledges from Government to change the employment law landscape, this October’s legislative programme is a relatively quiet one for employment lawyers and employers.
Despite many pledges from Government to change the employment law landscape, this October’s legislative programme is a relatively quiet one for employment lawyers and employers. Many proposed statutory changes are still either currently before Parliament or still in the pipeline. However, as we look forward to October 2012 and beyond, there are still some changes employers should be aware of.AUTOMATIC PENSIONS ENROLMENT – 1 OCTOBER 2012From 1 October 2012, employers will be required to “auto-enrol” eligible employees not currently participating in a workplace pension scheme into either a qualifying pension scheme…

Becoming an employer of choice is vital to attract and retain staff especially given the current climate of increased competition for talent and employees, according to recruiting experts Hays in China.
Becoming an employer of choice is vital to attract and retain staff especially given the current climate of increased competition for talent and employees, according to recruiting experts Hays in China.There are many ways of being an employer of choice, which will position your organisation above the rest, and it doesn’t have to be a difficult process, according to Simon Lance, Regional Director of Hays in China.“It’s true that an organisation is only as good as the people who work there. Successful organisations have recognised they can achieve the employer of choice status through their p…

Digital marketing in the pharmaceutical & healthcare industry is reaching boiling point. After six or seven years of interest, it’s going mainstream – and instead of “should we go digital?”, pharma & healthcare companies are now asking “how do we do it successfully?”. We think the next seven years, leading up to 2020, will be crucial in this endeavour.
Digital marketing in the pharmaceutical & healthcare industry is reaching boiling point. After six or seven years of interest, it's going mainstream – and instead of "should we go digital?", pharma & healthcare companies are now asking "how do we do it successfully?". We think the next seven years, leading up to 2020, will be crucial in this endeavour.Featuring the views and experiences of industry experts from inside and outside of…

This case is part of a series of UK and European decisions on the issue of holiday and sickness absence and how domestic law (in the form of the Working Time Regulations 1998 (“WTR”)) interacts with EU case and legislative law.
Does a worker on sick leave have to give notice to carry over untaken leave?This case is part of a series of UK and European decisions on the issue of holiday and sickness absence and how domestic law (in the form of the Working Time Regulations 1998 (“WTR”)) interacts with EU case and legislative law. Now a UK case has come before the Court of Appeal looking at the contentious issue of whether a worker off sick has to request to carry over holiday they cannot take because of sickness, to another leave year – or do they “use it or lose it”?.Sickness and Holiday: a…

At the start of the Internet and the first ever internet domain name boom, why has ‘dot com’ become the king and not ‘dot net’?
At the start of the Internet and the first ever internet domain name boom, why has 'dot com' become the king and not 'dot net'? This is a serious naming question and demands authoritative clarity to the answers. Form a nomenclature point of view; the global audience felt more comfortable with .com. It sounded better and more like 'company' while, .et sounded weaker, limited, network related and therefore techie. Despite being half portion of the name of the Internet, the Net suffix was left behind, and although both were equally accessible the global perception got in the way. In usage, each dot Net also became the proof that somewhere out there an identical name…

Aberdeen scientists have demonstrated for the first time a clear link between sunlight, vitamin D and an impact on regulatory cells in the immune system in findings that might provide new insights into diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
Aberdeen scientists have demonstrated for the first time a clear link between sunlight, vitamin D and an impact on regulatory cells in the immune system in findings that might provide new insights into diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS).The research - published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology – shows how UV (ultraviolet)-B light boosts vitamin D, as well as cells in our body that are responsible for regulating or balancing the immune system.Vitamin D is made in our bodies by UV-B light from the sun. Some studies have suggested…