Articles

Strontium ranelate (Protelos ®) reduced structural progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in knee joints by one third, finds an international phase III study. The trial, presented at the European Congress of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (IOF-ECCEO) meeting in Bordeaux, France, 21 to 24 March, 2012, is the first study ever to have demonstrated a disease modifying effect in OA, with additional benefits shown for pain, function and mobility.
Strontium ranelate (Protelos ®) reduced structural progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in knee joints by one third, finds an international phase III study. The trial, presented at the European Congress of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (IOF-ECCEO) meeting in Bordeaux, France, 21 to 24 March, 2012, is the first study ever to have demonstrated a disease mod…

Here’s what employers have to look forward to in the coming month hopefully along with some much needed sunny spring weather!
Here’s what employers have to look forward to in the coming month hopefully along with some much needed sunny spring weather!Increase in the Unfair Dismissal Qualifying PeriodFrom 6 April 2012 the qualifying period of service to bring an unfair dismissal claim increases from one to two years. The increase will only apply to new employees who start employment on or after 6 April.Employees will still be able to bring unfair dismissal claims with lesser service for protected reasons such as whistleblowing, reasons related to pregnancy and maternity and dismissal for trade union related reasons. Employees are also able to bring claims for discrimination without any s…

Engineering and sales skills top the list of those in most demand, according to employer feedback canvassed for the 2012 Hays Salary Guide.
Engineering and sales skills top the list of those in most demand, according to employer feedback canvassed for the 2012 Hays Salary Guide.Of 900 employers surveyed for the Hays Salary Guide, 24 per cent said they have recently found it difficult to recruit engineering staff at the junior to mid management level, while 19 per cent faced difficulty at the senior management level.22 per cent of employers said they have found it difficult to recruit sales candidates at junior to mid and senior management levels.Employers also report difficulty when recruiting technical skills at the junior to mid management level (17 per cent), IT skills at the junior to m…

Research proves that green spaces are restorative and therapeutic; they provide a relief from stress, a place for peace, a place for exercise, and a place to create connections with other people in our community.
Dr William Bird, Practicing GP and Founder/Director of Intelligent Health put things into perspective, “Chronic stress is now being associated with cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and depression – all the diseases western societies are struggling with. A better environment, a society that connects people and gives them a sense of place and purpose are natural remedies for this. Parks and green spaces obviously provide this remedy, but until we actually invest in our green spaces the way we do traditional health care, we’re never going to see these spaces reach…

This year is another bumper year for employment law changes. In this article we consider the key changes for employers in 2012, planned changes to Employment Tribunal practice and procedure and what changes are still in the pipeline.
This year is another bumper year for employment law changes. In this article we consider the key changes for employers in 2012, planned changes to Employment Tribunal practice and procedure and what changes are still in the pipeline.February 2012Annual Increases - From 1st February 2012, the maximum limit on a week's pay (i.e. for statutory redundancy calculation purposes) increased from £400 to £430 and the maximum unfair dismissal compensatory award increased from £68,400 to £72,300. These new awards are only be applicable to dismissals which take effect…

Suddenly, perfect storms are developing on the global branding fronts; the top of the agenda is now ‘naming’ of the brands itself and how will the names survive the rapid changes of massive digitalization of social media where such name identities reside and skate to catch customers via global cyber branding.
Suddenly, perfect storms are developing on the global branding fronts; the top of the agenda is now ‘naming’ of the brands itself and how will the names survive the rapid changes of massive digitalization of social media where such name identities reside and skate to catch customers via global cyber branding.It’s no longer important how and where the business names that later became candidates for trademarks, then domain names and now possibly gTLD (generic top-level domain) candidate…

The boardroom agendas must raise some of these questions. What are the specific tactical options available for the organization at this stage? What are the hot buttons on name evaluation for national or global cyber name branding? What are the key steps to get current name identity ahead of competitors on fast track basis? What are the new digital platforms for mass-customer-acquisition? What are the methodical steps to market domination via name identity?
Global corporate nomenclature is making history, right now, as ICANN gTLD platform opens with full swing, the established and largest name brands of the world are now pitted against the newest, recently incubated, globally poised but relatively unknown name brands. The global image shifts are at play. The coming years will define the new…

Many employers will agree with David Cameron, that a decade of Health and Safety rules and regulations intended to protect people, have in fact simply overwhelmed businesses with extra red tape.
Many employers will agree with David Cameron, that a decade of Health and Safety rules and regulations intended to protect people, have in fact simply overwhelmed businesses with extra red tape. Whilst the Government have announced a review of the current rules, which we hope will bring an end to extreme examples of health and safety gone mad, such as the tragic case of the ten year old boy allowed to drown by community police officers who were not “trained” to go into the water or schools banning children from playing conkers in the school yard, employers will still need to understand and be awa…

As we move into 2012, we are witnessing a fundamental change in healthcare product technology market demands from policymakers and consumers alike and a shift in the regulatory needs of manufacturers in this area.
A dynamic year ahead As we move into 2012, we are witnessing a fundamental change in healthcare product technology market demands from policymakers and consumers alike and a shift in the regulatory needs of manufacturers in this area. Pharmaceutical companies, in particular, are being challenged as technological imperatives drive forward product development. Drug delivery, medical technology, IT and mobile communication can no longer be considered as individual disciplines. The nature of company requests for regulatory advice, in our experience, reflects the fact that we are liv…

The integration of mobile technology, bilingual skills and the use of Recruitment Process Outsourcing for global expansion are amongst the top issues that will dominate China’s recruitment market in 2012, according to recruiting experts Hays.
The integration of mobile technology, bilingual skills and the use of Recruitment Process Outsourcing for global expansion are amongst the top issues that will dominate China’s recruitment market in 2012, according to recruiting experts Hays.Also high on the recruiter’s list is the importance of conducting a thorough background check rather than relying on content from social networking sites, which can be embellished.“If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from the last year, it’s that technology offers employers, recruiters and hiring managers powerful ne…

Building a team of suitably qualified clinical research professionals within the Asia Pacific region, particularly in China, South Korea, Taiwan and India, has become a critical requirement due to the enormous growth in clinical trial activity in the region.
Building a team of suitably qualified clinical research professionals within the Asia Pacific region, particularly in China, South Korea, Taiwan and India, has become a critical requirement due to the enormous growth in clinical trial activity in the region.While there is variance from country to country in both the extent and type of resource shortage within Asia Pacific, it is generally accepted that there is a significant lack of qualified and experienced, English speaking, Clinical Research Associates (CRA's), Project Managers (PM's…

It is estimated that long term sickness absence costs the UK economy almost £9 billion each year due to 140 million days lost as sickness absence. With an already failing economy, it is no wonder then that alongside a number of employment law reforms aimed at tackling the economic crisis, this is another area under scrutiny.
It is estimated that long term sickness absence costs the UK economy almost £9 billion each year due to 140 million days lost as sickness absence. With an already failing economy, it is no wonder then that alongside a number of employment law reforms aimed at tackling the economic crisis, this is another area under scrutiny.Traditionally, employers have expected an employee’s doctor to assess their capability to work. However, an independent review into sickness absence…

Employee Value Propositions (EVP) and attractive incentives are once again in focus as employers consider candidates who have potential rather than solely those who are an exact fit for the role, says recruiting experts Hays.
Employee Value Propositions (EVP) and attractive incentives are once again in focus as employers consider candidates who have potential rather than solely those who are an exact fit for the role, says recruiting experts Hays.According to Hays, this is occurring for candidates who have transferable skills or potential, and express a desire to move for career development rather than salary reasons. “Employers are going back to the drawing board and seeking to lure candidates by looking at their ‘what’s in it for you?’ appeal,” says Emma Charnock, Regional Director of Hay…

ABBYY and partner Document Genetics team up to streamline critical business processes
ABBYY and partner Document Genetics team up to streamline critical business processesBackgroundIn the face of the growing assortment of pharmaceutical products, PharmacoVigilance, or the pharmacological science of detecting and assessing the side effects of medicines, has become an important issue to both drug companies and consumers alike. In order to identify new information about the hazards associated with medicines and to prevent harm to patients, data from healthcare providers and individuals need to be collected, monitored, researched, assessed and evaluated. The PV evaluation process, however, involves significant amounts of time, particularly to process the large volume of documents.Because of the…

New data on UCB’s anti-TNF biologic certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), disclosed this week in several poster presentations during the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), show the treatment works well in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients irrespective of prior exposure to other biologics, and that results are sustained over 28 weeks.
New data on UCB’s anti-TNF biologic certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), disclosed this week in several poster presentations during the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), show the treatment works well in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients irrespective of prior exposure to other biologics, and that results are sustained over 28 weeks. A new post-hoc data analysis from the RAPID 1 study also confirms that good responses to…

We’re seeing increasing demand for pharma marketing solutions to be based on the iPad, and it’s not hard to see why. The pace at which the industry continues its move away from paper-based detail aids seems to be increasing. But what’s interesting is that remote ‘self-service’ edetailing does not seem to be growing at the same rate. The predicted disintermediation of the traditional field sales model hasn’t happened.
We’re seeing increasing demand for pharma marketing solutions to be based on the iPad, and it’s not hard to see why. The pace at which the industry continues its move away from paper-based detail aids seems to  be increasing. But what’s interesting is that remote ‘self-service’ edetailing does not seem to be growing at the same rate. The predicted disintermediation of th…

CPL Pharma Lager and Vertrieb GmbH designs and performs tailor-made logistics solutions for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry throughout Germany and Austria.
CPL Pharma Lager and Vertrieb GmbH designs and performs tailor-made logistics solutions for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry throughout Germany and Austria.CPL’s approach to distribution is predominantly based on the principle that a wide range of goods have to meet an extremely high availability – from a fast-moving item to one that is rarely in demand. This is no easy task for the six planners at CPL; goods must be ordered at the right time and in the right quantity. This ordering process must also take into consideration a plethora of item indicators, such as sell-by dates.Jürgen Spindler, the manager of logistics…

In the aftermath of last year’s inconclusive General Election — and the subsequent emergence of the Coalition Government — you’d have been forgiven for thinking that ‘deficit reduction’ was the only buzzword in town.
In the aftermath of last year’s inconclusive General Election — and the subsequent emergence of the Coalition Government — you’d have been forgiven for thinking that ‘deficit reduction’ was the only buzzword in town. ‘Growth’, opposing politicians charged, was seemingly absent from the government’s fiscal vocabulary. In a more recent example of bad news for the government, earlier this week the Office for National Statistics (ONS) halved its earlier estimate for second quarter UK growth to 0.1%. Subsequently, and as David Cameron addressed the Conservative Party Conference thi…

NICE is a world-renowned, independent organisation responsible for providing national recommendations on the use of new and existing medicines and treatments within the NHS, through the Technology Appraisal Programme. The Scientific Advice Programme provides not-for-profit chargeable consulting services to companies who have products in development that may be referred for future evaluation by NICE.
NICE is a world-renowned, independent organisation responsible for providing national recommendations on the use of new and existing medicines and treatments within the NHS, through the Technology Appraisal Programme. The Scientific Advice Programme provides not-for-profit chargeable consulting services to companies who have products in development that may be referred for future evaluation by…

New drug formulations, biological agents, combination therapies and the latest pharmaceutical developments designed to improve outcomes in patients with a wide range of cancers were highlighted at EMCC 2001. Here are just a few of the highlights:
New drug formulations, biological agents, combination therapies and the latest pharmaceutical developments designed to improve outcomes in patients with a wide range of cancers were highlighted at EMCC 2001. Here are just a few of the highlights: Progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) cancer was improved by more than 40% in a clinical trial designed to assess the benefit of a new antibody drug conjugate to that of conventional first-line therapy.Dr Sara Hurvitz (Director, Breast Oncology Progr…