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Patients suffering from chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) who miss out on potentially curative surgery may respond to medical treatment with the dual endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan (Tracleer) according to results of BENEFiT, a multicentre phase III trial presented at this year’s American Thoracic Society meeting. To date there has been no approved medical therapy for the condition.
BENEFiT study shows Tracleer (bosentan) improves haemodynamics in CTEPH patients refused surgery Patients suffering from chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) who miss out on potentially curative surgery may respond to medical treatment with the dual endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan (Tracleer) according to results of BENEFiT, a multicentre phase III trial prese…
In today’s clinical arena it is the norm for clinical and medical departments to work with a mixture of direct staff (headcount), contract employees and independent consultants, as well as outsourcing whole projects. Companies utilise this mix for myriad reasons, including increased pressure to reduce headcount carrying costs demands for flexibility and to meet the clinical trial program milestones within a reduced time to market.
So you want to contract staff… what do you need to consider? In today’s clinical arena it is the norm for clinical and medical departments to work with a mixture of direct staff (headcount), contract employees and independent consultants, as well as outsourcing whole projects. Companies utilise this mix for myriad reasons, including increased pressure to reduce…
With in excess of 34,000 doctors chasing 18,500 training posts due to start in August, one might expect that a slick system would be employed to ensure that the best candidates were matched with the most appropriate jobs. And maybe that’s what the MTAS (the Medical Training Application Service - an online application system designed to allow juniors to apply centrally for training rotations) was meant to achieve. However, it had been prone to crashing, and many junior doctors claimed that it was
What’s Up (Junior) Doc? London, May 22 2007 With in excess of 34,000 doctors chasing 18,500 training posts due to start in August, one might expect that a slick system would be employed to ensure that the best candidates were matched with the most appropriate jobs. And maybe that’s what the MTAS…
Despite all denials, newspapers all over the world are simply dying. The gravity of the problem is not that the competing media like TV or Internet are at play it’s rather that the public all over the world prefers moving pictures in the palms of their hands over deciphering or reading between the lines of nicely arranged words spread out on a paper blanket.
The Newspaper Cemetery Despite all denials, newspapers all over the world are simply dying. The gravity of the problem is not that the competing media like TV or Internet are at play it’s rather that the public all over the world prefers moving pictures in the palms of their hands over deciphering or reading between the lines of nicely arranged words spread out on a paper blanket. The Children of the Millennium Historians will reg…
Its hard gaining entry into the pharmaceutical industry, but is it harder if you are thirty? I’m a graduate, so I can get in like a graduate, can’t I?
The possibility of age discrimination within the pharmaceutical industry (clinical trials at least), first occurred through application and interview feedback, such as ‘What year did you graduate?’ and ‘You’ve been out of the industry for too long’. The fact I had been in it at all should have been an advantage over a graduate who hadn’t, particularly as I am applying for graduate entry jobs. There I was thinking removing dates from my CV would be enough to avoid age discrimination, but it just meant any feedback showing age concerns is more polite. What is it that makes age a factor in recruitment, particularly at entry level and what is a…
The biogenerics industry consolidates with Indian players emerging in Western countries; pegylation, protein engineering, drug delivery and oral small molecules feed the pipeline of next generation competitors of therapeutic proteins
BARCELONA, Spain | April 24, 2007 | The Business Intelligence firm La Merie S.L. reported today that the consolidation process in the biogenerics industry has commenced after first approvals of biogeneric human growth hormone products in the US and the EU and first filings of biogeneric erythropoietin and insulin in the EU. Smaller biogeneric companies have been taken over by generic players from India and Eastern Europe . Large generic and hospital specialist companies have entered the field by acquisition and licensing deals. Apart from biogenerics, the US$…
The results of an in-depth survey of over 750 patients across Europe launched today points to a crisis in the management of the rising numbers of people living in the ‘twilight zone’ of type 2 diabetes care.
IDF Europe, Brussels, April 17th 2007, 12.01AM: The results of an in-depth survey of over 750 patients across Europe launched today points to a crisis in the management of the rising numbers of people living in the ‘twilight zone’ of type 2 diabetes care. They are inadequately controlled on oral antidiabetics but under a false sense of security about the severity of their disease.1 The survey revealed that over three-quarters of patients across Europe wrongly believe their poorly controlled condition is well managed and almost half believe that they have ‘mild’ diabetes.1 The Choose C…
After a year or so of relatively disappointing results from Big Pharma, there seems to be a new wave of optimism sweeping across the industry.
In the past few days we have seen Merck and Schering-Plough announce results ahead of expectations, and now Wyeth joins the club too, with Q1 revenues up by 11%, earnings per share up 12%, and its Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Healthcare and Animal Health segments all hitting double-digit net revenue growth. Commenting on the results, Robert Essner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said “Wyeth’s financial performance in the 2007 first quarter was again outstanding. On top of that, the Company added momentum to our new product pipeline by successfully completing a number of important clinical trials for Pristiq for vasomotor symptoms and depressio…
The Sales Technology & CRM Webinar will take place at 15.00 GMT/10.00 EST, 24th May 2007
The Sales Technology & CRM Webinar will take place at 15.00 GMT/10.00 EST, 24th May 2007 11th April 2007, London, UK – EyeforPharma, world renowned leader in providing business strategy information and conferences for the pharmaceutical industry, has announced dates for a new concept in short interactive webinar forums to enable participants a quick and cost effective route to keep in touch with trends, analysis and major topics in the Pharma Industry. Under the banner of Sales Force Effectiveness the latest of the webinar events will take place on 24th May 2007 15.00 GMT/10.00 EST covering the topics of Sales Technology and CRM, allowing registered attendees a ‘power hour’ in which to discuss…
SYDNEY, N.S.W., 2 Mar 2007 – The recently released GenericsWeb Pipeline Developer patent report for Levitra® (Vardenafil) highlights the importance of high quality patent information when considering development of generic equivalents in the early stages of a product’s lifecycle.
SYDNEY, N.S.W., 2 Mar 2007 – The recently released GenericsWeb Pipeline Developer patent report for Levitra® (Vardenafil) highlights the importance of high quality patent information when considering development of generic equivalents in the early stages of a product’s lifecycle. Levitra®, launched by Bayer in 2003, is closely related to Pfizer’s blockbuster product Viagra® (Sildenafil), and is indicated for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. According to Bayer, sales of Levitra® were €260 million in 2005. L…
Covering all the major topics surrounding EDC and other e-Clinical technologies, this year’s e-Clinical Trials event will also look carefully at how to integrate a range of systems for a successful e-Clinical programme and bring you up-to-date on current standards and the latest technological options. Delegates will also benefit from a highly detailed interactive workshop on managing e-Clinical Trials in exotic and difficult locations. Furthermore, This year’s e-Clinical Trials conference wil
Join us for the most comprehensive e-Clinical Trials event this year and with over 12 manufacturer case-studies, this is the place to be to learn and share your experiences with leading experts in this field. Just some of the case-studies include: - Astellas will share their experiences of inter…
Infusion-related reactions occur with a wide variety of therapeutic agents used in the treatment of cancer but have become a particular concern of the targeted monoclonal antibody therapies. A post-hoc analysis performed on data from a recent large study suggests a way of minimising risk.
Infusion-related reactions occur with a wide variety of therapeutic agents used in the treatment of cancer but have become a particular concern of the targeted monoclonal antibody therapies. A post-hoc analysis performed on data from a recent large study suggests a way of minimising risk. A simple means to help avoid the complication of infusion-related reactions (IRR) affecting patients receiving monoclonal antibody treatments, has been identified in MABEL, a major European open-label study of metastat…
The Appendage of the letter "i" to a word as an aim to create an icon is silly…
The Appendage of the letter "i" to a word as an aim to create an icon is silly… momentary, short-term fame and glory may be possible, but to create a long lasting, global, iconic mark is very doubtful. What makes an icon is also the exclusive longevity of its unique name, and for that reason, you have examples of Rolex and not iWatch, Panasonic and not iTV Terms like, interactive- portable- device were behind creating the name iPod, and has now become responsible for the race for the letter "i" to be ingrained in just about every product category, from: iCell, iCar, iBank to iBrick and just about every word including iCopy. Feeble minds somehow gravitate towards the copying process and feel secure by joining…
Thrombocytopenia, the bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of platelets, has no easy-to-administer or satisfactory treatment at present. However, eltrombopag (Promacta) a new oral drug in development by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has progressed to phase III
Thrombocytopenia, the bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of platelets, has no easy-to-administer or satisfactory treatment at present. However, eltrombopag (Promacta) a new oral drug in development by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has progressed to phase III following encouraging early results regarding efficacy and tolerability. Latest results of a phase II study were presented at the annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Orlando, Florida. Patients with too few circulating platelets (thrombocytes) experience problems wi…
With drug pipelines yielding fewer blockbusters and profits from branded drugs being increasingly eroded by generic incursion, pharmaceutical companies are looking to maximize the return on investment of their drugs that do make it to market. Consequently, reformulation has become a common defense by drug makers to prolong the lifecycle of their top sellers.
Pharma turns to reformulation to maximize ROI Reformulation is a popular method of lifecycle management. In fact, from 2002-2005, 39% of the total product launches from the 50 top manufacturers were reformulations. However, before embarking on a reformulation strategy companies must weigh-up whether it is appropriate to commit the required R&D, sales and marketing resources to the project, as opposed to dedicating them to the deve…
Frost & Sullivan, along with their panel of distinguished industry experts, will take a look at the changing dynamics in today's U.S. pharmaceutical industry. The panel will review traditional adherence programs, examine what is and is not working, and what the next steps are toward addressing the multiple barriers contributing to non-adherence. For additional information, please visit http://ebroadcast.frost.com/loyalty
The approaches that many pharmaceutical companies are using to advance patient loyalty and adherence provide opportunities for optimization. These strategies are typically short-term and fail to appreciate the complex and personal issues surrounding a patient's individual barriers to compliance and persistency. There is a significant growing need for companies to move…
Despite almost 200 million people suffering from high blood pressure in the western world alone, the growth rate of the antihypertensive market is actually slowing, largely as a result of generic incursion. In fact many pharmaceutical companies, including those with strong cardiovascular portfolios, are turning their back on this market in favor of more profitable indications, such as oncology.
The number of sufferers of hypertension is expected to climb to over 210 million by 2015, however pharmaceutical companies with an interest in the cardiovascular face a number of challenges which will impact heavily - most notably brand erosion and healthcare reforms. The slow and declining growth rate does not reflect a stationary market, but the battle between the branded and generic drugs. The g…
AstraZeneca's third biggest-selling drug, Toprol XL, has come up against generic competition sooner than anticipated after losing its protection against copycat launches. AstraZeneca has responded by reaching an agreement with US generic firm Par Pharmaceutical to distribute and supply a 25mg generic version of Toprol XL, a strategy that could be used with its other drugs facing patent expiry.
Toprol XL was originally launched by AstraZeneca in 2001 for the once-daily treatment of hypertension, with the patent protecting the drug expected to expire in September 2007. However, in January 2006, a US district court ruled the patents covering Toprol XL extended-release tablets to be invalid and unenforceable. Following the verdict, Novartis-owned Eon Labs launched a 25mg generic version of the…
Inhalabe insulin treatments promised to revolutionize the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes by removing the 'injection barrier' from treatment regimes. However, while inhalable insulins will see a reasonable level of uptake, they aren't the sure fire blockbuster they were hyped to be.
The diabetes pandemic (driven primarily by type 2 diabetes) has unfolded in conjunction with the ageing global population and rapid cultural changes such as increasing urbanization, dietary changes and decreased physical activity. However, despite the advent of aggressive health awareness campaigns that draw attention to the health problems associated with the key risk factor of type 2 diabetes - obesity - the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is expected to reach the 40 million mark by 2012.   Commerci…
The treatment of asthma and COPD has dramatically improved following the increased use of fixed dose inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta2-agonist (ICS/LABA) combination therapies. Although Advair dominates the total asthma/COPD market, Symbicort's recent US approval and Chiesi's recent European approval of an ICS/LABA combination drug, signal a major change in the market dynamics.
  Sufferers of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are breathing easier due to being increasingly treated with fixed dose inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta2-agonist (ICS/LABA) combination therapies. The appeal of these combinations is three-fold: improved patient compliance, simplified disease management and the certainty of bronchodilator and ster…