DataLabs has launched the first software to combine paper data
entry (PDE) and electronic data capture (EDC) in the one program to
accelerate the clinical trials process.
Asia and India are continuing to attract a wave of foreign
outsourcing contracts in the pharma industry, as companies are
lured by productivity-and cost savings. However, these countries
are not yet reaching their potential, as fears...
Phase IV clinical trials are becoming key activities for
cardiovascular marketing teams who are increasingly using them to
rejuvenate ageing medications and improve marketing campaigns.
Innovata has backed out of discussions for the possible "all-share"
takeover of beleaguered drug development company SkyePharma, citing
its inability to be competitive with cash-based offers from other
companies.
UK's Pharmagene has joined forces with US company Asterand to form
a human tissue supply and research services company that will
dominate the pharma industry. The merger, which was finalised last
week, will also solidify Pharmagene's...
According to a new report, the costs of clinical development are
rising more rapidly in relation to the other parts of the R&D
process, placing greater emphasis on the recruitment of test
subjects, as clinical trial service...
Leading contract research organisation, Covance, has upgraded its
software to streamline the laboratory testing aspect of its
clinical trials and allow sponsoring drug companies greater
involvement in the overall process.
Adoption of RFID hardware and software throughout the pharma
industry is about to explode, spurred on by the push from industry
organizations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
implement RFID tags to combat sales...
Cambridge Biostability Limited (CBL) has commissioned the world's
first commercial sterile spray dryer for childhood vaccines, in
which the £1 million (€1.5 million) facility will produce clinical
trial material providing a precursor...
SR Pharma, specializing in RNAi therapeutics, will be the first
company to use the new UK National Biomanufacturing Centre (NBC),
operated by contract manufacturing organization (CMO) Eden
Biodesign, when it opens on schedule early...
Pliva released its financial results for the first nine months of
2005, which revealed a net loss of $34 million, as the drug maker
tries to recover from its loss-making drug launch in the US. This
is despite posting higher revenues...
Contract research specialists Xceleron have announced a new
three-year deal that provides support for GSK's bioanalytical AMS
programme for human metabolite profiling and obtaining mass balance
data.
Cryopak Industries has struck a deal to supply GlaxoSmithKline
(GSK) with insulated containers and internal thermal components for
shipping of its temperature sensitive vaccines in Canada.
A recently published report has revealed that less than 13 per cent
of US consumers believe that information provided by pharmaceutical
companies is more trustworthy than healthcare information provided
by other organisations.
Actavis's $810 million (€677 million) cash acquisition of
Alpharma's US and international generic drugs division is part of
the firm's strategy to become one of the global leaders in the
sector.
Scientists in research and academia have called for the end to the
pharmaceutical industry's 'cynical use' of drug studies and its
subjects who are often misled into taking part.
With blockbuster patents set to expire, the biogenerics market is
set to cash in as previous challenges such as a lack of regulatory
framework are nearing resolve, particularly in Western Europe.
The creation of Sanofi-Aventis last year created a dent in its
second-quarter net profit as the French company looked to provide
good news to its investors. The drug maker managed to raise its
earnings target for the year and accelerated...
Vioxx. Bextra. Zyprexa, Seroxat. At no period of time have so many
high-profile drugs come under the spotlight as drug companies face
legal action over drug safety. It's make or break time for the
pharmaceutical industry as drug...
According to a recent survey, the pharma industry spent an
estimated $1.25 billion for each new molecular entity (NME)
approved by the FDA in 2004. The figure represents the second
consecutive year in which this figure has declined...
Japanese biopharmaceutical company Sosei, is to acquire UK-based
Arakis, in a £106.5 million deal that includes a £213 million ($375
million) global partnership with Novartis for its lead product, a
once daily, inhaled, long-acting...
Indian pharmaceutical company Matrix Laboratories is aiming to buy
a 22 per cent controlling stake in Belgium's Docpharma in what is
the largest overseas acquisition yet in India's drug industry,
reports Phil Taylor.
AstraZeneca has been fined a hefty €60 million by the European
Commission for manipulating patent laws to keep competitors out of
the market, marking the first occasion that antirust laws have been
used to combat patent abuse.
'Smart' blister packaging that can record when medicines are taken,
developed by Canada's Information Mediary Corp, is being launched
into the European market with the help of French contract research
organisation ABR...
Singapore contract biologics manufacturer A-Bio has added another
top pharmaceutical company to its list of customers, just over 18
months after starting operations, reports Phil Taylor.
Information technology giant IBM has developed a software
architecture that promises to modernise the pharmaceutical
industry's manufacturing processes, often accused of lagging behind
those of other industries such as chemicals...
In-PharmaTechnologist.com presents a round up of personnel news in
the pharmaceutical sector, including the speculation surrounding
the successor to Solvay's CEO.
According to a new report, the Indian drug sector is evolving
rapidly, creating opportunities both domestic and globally.
However, how Indian drug companies mould their strategies in the
face of product patent protection will determine...
Leading drug developers and researchers are adopting new in vivo
models to streamline pre-clinical drug development in an effort to
cut costs that are increasing steadily throughout the
pharmaceutical industry's drug pipeline.
Schweizerhall is well on the way to completing its acquisition of
Cimex Pharma, and as a result completing the first stage of its
transition to become a specialist supplier to the European generics
industry, reports Phil Taylor.
The growth in the global pharmaceutical continued to slow in 2004,
with a 7 per cent hike to $550 billion, as the sector felt the
effects of increased pricing pressure and the expanding market for
lower-cost generic drugs, reports...
A recent report into salaries within the pharmaceutical industry
reveals that the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) is paid amongst the
lowest for all executives when compared to salaries paid to chief
executive officers (CEOs).
Singapore's pharmaceutical output is likely to be flat this year, a
casualty of increasing pressure from generic drug firms. The
prediction, made by a Singapore official comes after the country
experienced a 40 per cent growth...
ITI Life Sciences and CXR Biosciences together with Artemis
Pharmaceuticals have entered into a £5.5 million (€7.9 million)
R&D programme to develop new screening and safety models to
more accurately predict the effects of drug...
Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant has acquired two companies
as it aims to expand its generics drug portfolio and increase its
presence in the generics sector. The strategic move is expected to
make Novartis the world's...
The top pharmaceutical companies are investing less money and
people in nanotechnology than other industries, despite pressure to
replace fading blockbuster drugs as fewer drugs come out of the
sector's R&D pipeline, according...
The UK education system is failing to provide sufficient high
calibre scientists needed for the research-based pharmaceutical
industry. The concern is that financial targets have meant
university science departments becoming increasingly...
In response to accusations of a cover up over negative data and
placing patient safety at risk, pharmaceutical companies worldwide
have agreed to reveal the results of clinical trial drug data.
Japanese drugmakers Dainippon Pharmaceutical and Sumitomo
Pharmaceuticals are to merge in an attempt to increase their
standing in international markets and fend off competition at home.
The UK pharmaceutical industry cautiously welcomed government plans
to cut the prices of medicines by 7 per cent next year but said the
measures did nothing in recognising the burden of mounting research
and development costs.
The contract manufacturing market for biologicals will more than
double over the next six years, but production costs are higher
than necessary because 'downstream' processing is being ignored.
UK optical recognition company Absolute Vision - a pioneer in the
use of two-dimensional data matrix codes used in laboratories - has
set up a new brand which signals a decision to ramp up its in-house
marketing efforts.
Novartis Consumer Health is set to become one of the first
companies to launch a pharmaceutical based in the 'film strip'
format, which has become a popular alternative to lozenges and gums
for freshening the breath.
A new report into pharmaceutical R&D has identified an emerging
trend favouring outsourcing of discovery research, clinical trials
and formulation manufacturing, providing pressure relief from
consistent, high-growth financial...
The pharmaceutical industry has announced it would introduce a
central, accessible database to improve the communication of the
clinical study results of marketed drugs.
Potential cost savings from the use of radiofrequency
identification (RFID) will spur increasing use of the technology
within pharmaceutical company supply chains during the next 18
months, according to new research.
In its first set of financial results after failing to find a buyer
for its pharmaceutical division, Danish packaging firm Superfos has
reported a healthy increase in earnings helped by the resolution of
delivery problems that plagued...
French pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Synthelabo on Friday formally
announced the birth of Sanofi-Aventis, the world's third-largest
pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in Europe.
