Industry news

22 June 2016

Marinus Pharmaceuticals Doses First Subject in Phase 1 Clinical Trial for Ganaxolone IV

Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:MRNS), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutics to treat epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders, tMarinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:MRNS), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutics to treat epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders, today announced that it has dosed the first subject in its Phase 1 clinical trial of ganaxolone IV, an intravenous (IV) formulation of Marinus' CNS-selective GABA_A modulator, for the treatment of status epilepticus (SE). 

Americans spent $30.2 billion out-of-pocket on complementary health approaches

U.S. National Institute od Health

Americans spent $30.2 billion — $28.3 billion for adults and $1.9 billion for children — out-of-pocket on complementary health approaches, according to a nationwide survey. These approaches include a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products such as herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic, and yoga. This amount represents 9.2 percent of all out-of-pocket spending by Americans on health care and 1.1 percent of total health care spending.

Pharma rep pay scrapes the bottom of the medical sales barrel

Tracy Staton / Fierce Biotech

Pharma reps, we have some good news and some bad news. The good: Starting salaries in your field are among the top 10 for entry-level jobs this year. The not so good: Once again, your pay ranks lowest among U.S. medical sales folks.

Where the money is: The top 100(+) VCs investing in U.S. biotechs

John Carroll / ENDPOINTS

2015 proved to be the biggest year on record for venture investing in U.S. biotechs. A total of $7.7 billion flowed into a range of startups, some clustered in Boston/Cambridge and San Francisco, but with quite a large amount finding its way to drug developers off the beaten biotech path.

IBM signs up to support genomic research into pediatric conditions

Nick Paul Taylor / Fierce Biotech

IBM ($IBM) has entered into a 5-year collaboration with the University of Calgary. The alliance will see IBM install computing and storage infrastructure at the university to support its research into the genetics of conditions including autism.

Most U.S. payers are eyeing outcomes-based drug pricing: Report

Tracy Staton / Fierce Biotech

Pharma may have pulled off only a few outcomes-based pricing deals with payers, but companies are likely to add more to that list soon--many more, if payers have their way.

Improving Health Through Medication Access

Ryan Marotta / Pharmacy Times

In January 2010, Dominique Dormeville watched as her parents’ home country of Haiti suffered in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that affected many of her friends and relatives. In the wake of this tragedy, Dormeville felt compelled to help the people of Haiti in any way she could, a call that ultimately led her to pursue a career in pharmacy. “This event significantly affected me and ultimately compelled me to search for a means to … aid in … Haiti’s recovery,” Dormeville, a 2018 PharmD candidate from the South Carolina College of Pharmacy, told Pharmacy Times.

Big pharmas in $45M round for fibrotic disease startup

Stacy Lawrence / Fierce Biotech

A trio of pharmas have bought into the early vision of startup Blade Therapeutics. Pfizer Venture Investments, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research and Bristol-Myers Squibb ($BMY) all came in to the $45 million Series B round for the startup, which aims to address novel targets in fibrotic disease. It expects to get into the clinic with this financing.

Pharma on the Move: New Trends in French Healthcare Logistics

Pharmaboardroom

Pharmaceuticals do not appear in pharmacies and hospitals out of nowhere, yet the logistics of transporting these goods are a seldom acknowledged component of the healthcare industry supply chain. Behind the scenes, several French players are stepping up with new services and certifications to meet the demands of today’s globalizing pharmaceutical market.

Generic Therapeutic Substitution Could Curb Soaring Drug Costs

Allison Gilchrist / Pharmacy Times

Patients prescribed a branded drug instead of an equivalent generic spent an estimated $24.6 billion in excess costs between 2010 and 2012, according to recent study results published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The investigation sought to calculate the potential impact of therapeutic substitution— when a brand name drug is substituted for a generic within the same class but with different chemical compounds—on potential savings for patients and the US health system. Researchers analyzed Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data from 107,132 patients, along with their reported prescription use, between 2010 and 2012.