Industry news

Does Pharma Really Want to Overhaul FDA?

Jill Wechsler / BioPharm International

In a much-publicized White House meeting this week with top biopharma executives, President Donald Trump promised to “streamline” FDA operations to speed up approval decisions on new drugs and medical products. Market-based reforms, he said, would inject more competition into prescription drug markets and help lower prices. Leading industry executives smiled and applauded, largely hoping to defuse the President’s call for Medicare drug price negotiations. But the attack on FDA rules and processes could be more damaging.

Biotech leaders take on Trump’s immigration ban, warn of mounting harm

Ben Adams / Fierce Biotech

More than 160 biotech and VC execs have signed a strongly worded letter in Nature Biotech today denouncing President Donald Trump’s recent three-month immigration executive order that has delayed or banned some travelers from across seven predominantly Muslim countries trying to enter the U.S.

Do Social Ties Affect Our Health?

NIH News in Health

Cuddles, kisses, and caring conversations. These are key ingredients of our close relationships. Scientists are finding that our links to others can have powerful effects on our health. Whether with romantic partners, family, friends, neighbors, or others, social connections can influence our biology and well-being.

QuintilesIMS: Lifetime Trends in Biopharmaceutical Innovation

QuintilesIMS

A total of 667 innovative biopharmaceuticals launched in the U.S. over the past 20 years, 1996-2015, bringing new treatment options to patients. After a low point of only 19 NAS launches in 2008, the number has steadily increased and reached 47 in 2015. The characteristics of biopharmaceutical innovation have also evolved over the past two decades, with increases in the share of cancer treatment launches from 11% to 28%, orphan indications from 21% to 42% and biologic launches.

This is not a video game: New TV ad showcases the destruction of a cancer cell by immune system

Robert Zirkelbach / PhRMA

Today, as part of our new advertising and public affairs initiative, GOBOLDLY, we are excited to announce the premier of our newest TV advertisement, Cells, which highlights innovative immunotherapy treatments by America’s biopharmaceutical companies.

The Value Collaborative: Advancing private market solutions to achieve better health, lower costs

Stephen J. Ubl / PhRMA

Each day, biopharmaceutical researchers push the bounds of medical science to find new treatments and cures to the most complex conditions facing patients. The launch of GOBOLDLY, our new national, multi-year initiative brings those bold, life-changing medical discoveries to the forefront. Yet, at the core of this effort is also our responsibility to make our health care system more responsive to the needs of patients.  

Immunotherapy treatment fast-tracked under UK’s access to medicines scheme

Niamh Marriott / Europian Pharmaceutical Review

This is following a positive Scientific Opinion by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS), that allows patient and doctors access to innovative treatments for serious medical conditions where there is a clear current unmet medical need, whilst they are being fully assessed for Marketing Authorisation.

Pfizer Reacts to Trump’s Comments and Discusses Pipeline in Its Q4 Earnings Call

Randi Hernandez / BioPharm Inernational

Pfizer executives were not among the pharma representatives who met with Trump yesterday to discuss various issues affecting the industry, a circumstance that Pfizer attributed to a schedule conflict with its quarterly earnings call. Despite the company’s absence from the meeting, Pfizer’s CEO Ian C. Read commented on some of Trump’s policy suggestions, and also discussed sales trends and projections for Pfizer’s R&D pipeline.

Regulatory Reform Is Not That Simple

Rita C. Peters / BioPharm International

Professionals involved in the development and manufacture of new drugs understand that drug development is--by design--a slow, deliberate, detailed, scientific, and technical effort. Getting a drug to market quickly is crucial to meet business objectives and provide needed patient treatments. The goal: accelerate the delivery of safe, efficacious, and cost-effective drugs to patients and to keep a steady supply of safe, efficacious, and cost-effective drugs on the market.

Pharma Companies Join Drug Safety Research Project

BioPharm International

Multiple pharmaceutical companies have signed on to participate in a £14-million (approximately $17.47-million) research project focused on drug safety, according to a Jan. 29, 2017 press announcement. The project will be led by AbbVie and co-coordinated by the University of Liverpool. The collaboration includes several other big pharma companies including Eli Lilly, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and Janssen.