Industry news

A slew of FDA nods triggers big market shake-ups in MS, diabetes, cancer and more

Carly Helfand / FiercePharmaMarketing

Last year, FiercePharmaMarketing brought you a list of 8 markets to keep an eye on--including some bracing for next-gen entrants. One year later, those newcomers are here, and they're shaking things up as expected.

Pharma embraces digital, or at least gives it a high five

Beth Snyder Bulik / FiercePharmaMarketing

A recurring theme at conferences, speeches and in the media in 2015 has been Big Pharma's lack of digital savviness. Some of that is undeserved broad-brushing. But it's true that Big Pharma, by and large, has been slow to adopt digital technologies, especially when it comes to marketing. There are reasons, most often cited as regulatory hurdles, privacy issues or internal legal wranglings, but the time for watchful waiting is over.

Outcome-based healthcare needs outcome-based marketing

Beth Snyder Bulik / FiercePharmaMarketing

Pharma can no longer put off the inevitable when it comes to outcome-based models in healthcare. In 2016, drugmakers will begin to engage more not only when it comes to pricing models, but also when it comes to marketing.

Price and reputation are indubitably, inexorably intertwined

Beth Snyder Bulik / FiercePharmaMarketing

In a riff on the old real estate adage of "location, location, location," we'd like to offer a pharma trend for 2016 that's all about "reputation, reputation, reputation."

That Drug Coupon Isn’t Really Clipping Costs

Cynthia Koons, Robert Langreth / Bloomberg Business

In 2015 the pharmaceutical industry will spend an estimated $7 billion—up from just $1 billion in 2010—to hand out coupons and discount cards to cover some or all patient copayments for drugs from fibromyalgia pain treatments to brand-name diabetes pills, according to data from IMS Health Holdings.

U.K. scientists roll out computer program for drug-resistant bacteria Dx

Emily Wasserman / FierceMedicalDevices

With drug-resistant bacterial infections on the rise, scientists are looking for ways to quickly pinpoint harmful genetic material and predict whether or not a drug can treat an infection. Researchers in the U.K. are making progress on this front, developing a computer program that could speed up diagnosis of drug-resistant infections and help doctors choose the right treatment for patients.

U.S. lawmakers push FDA to increase China, India oversight

Matthew Driskill / FiercePharmaAsia

Two American congressmen have written to the U.S. Government Accountability Office asking the agency to investigate the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's inspection work for pharma manufacturing plants in India and China.

2015 in Review: The Year of the Unicorn

PitchBook Blog

Down the road, 2015 may well be remembered as the Year of the Unicorn. More companies achieved the coveted $1 billion+ valuation in 2015 than any year before, with a new unicorn popping up at a rate of nearly 1.5 per week. It could be a few years until startups hit the milestone at the same or higher rate, as it's expected that exorbitant venture spending is about to hit last call (or already has). The term "unicorn" was coined in 2013, when joining the club was quite rare—like their namesake suggests; these days, a more prestigious milestone might be companies valued at $10 billion+, with Uber, admittedly a unique beast in the startup landscape, reportedly in the process of raising a multibillion-dollar round at a valuation of over $60 billion.

“Navigator” to guide doctor’s scalpel in high-precision surgery

MarchMont Innovation News

Russia’s largest government-owned tech corporation, Rostec, is completing the development of medical systems called “Navigator” to help surgeons navigate with high precision through the human organs and tissues during complex surgeries. The new systems are expected to hit the market in 2017,  announced  United Instrumentation Corp. (UIC), one of Rostec’s assets. 

Government to support new high tech endeavors

Marchmont Innovation News

Russia’s Advanced Research Fund, the national analog of the U.S.’ DARPA, announced plans  to back nine new high technology projects, including those aimed at high-strength carbon fiber development and the creation of drones for “ultra-long missions.”