San Francisco and Boston sit on opposite coasts and each has a rich history and character that make them distinct. However, they share some similarities: both cities are centers of top biotechnology hubs in the US. Read more »
The prescription drug-abuse problem in the US has grown to epidemic proportions in recent years. According to MedlinePlus, a service of the US National Library of Medicine, an estimated 20% of people in this country have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) cites a 2011 University of Michigan study that prescription drugs such as Vicodin (acetaminophen; hydrocodone bitartrate), Adderall (amphetamine aspartate; amphetamine sulfate; dextroamphetamine saccharate; dextroamphetamine sulfate), and cough medicine are abused more among seniors in high school than illicit drugs such as MDMA, hallucinogens, and cocaine.
Earlier this year, the concept of solar-powered aviation was further propelled from its proverbial runway, testing many limits that had not been previously realized in the realm of energy-efficient transportation. However, as is the case with virtually every achievement since the dawn of civilization, the question remains the same: Where do we go from here?
From May–July 2012, Solar Impulse—with the help of several sponsors, including Bayer MaterialScience, the subsidiary of the pharmaceutical manufacturer Bayer—successfully completed a series of flights (known as Crossing Frontiers) as part of a round-trip journey from Switzerland to Morocco, setting several world records, according to the World Air Sports Federation, in the solar-powered subcategory (including for free distance along a course, and for straight distance with predeclared waypoints). In addition, the mission included the first solar-powered intercontinental flight linking Europe to Africa when Solar Impulse’s HB-SIA plane crossed the Strait of Gibraltar.
Biopharmaceutical manufacturing has certainly come a long way in terms of innovation, but now it has many more miles to go, literally—on a truck.
On Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, I will be attending GE Healthcare Life Sciences’s ReadyToRock Tour 2012 in Piscataway, New Jersey. This 1000-ft2 mobile suite features the company’s ReadyToProcess platform, which contains bioreactors, filters, tubing and connectors, chromatography systems, and columns—all preconditioned, ready to plug in, and use. GE’s team of experts will also be on board for live presentations and demonstrations of the equipment.
Federal Judge Jose L. Linares of the District Court of New Jersey has ruled to move forward to hear an antitrust suit filed by a group of doctors against Sanofi in December 2011. The suit alleges that Sanofi is attempting to monopolize the US meningococcal vaccine market. As a result of the initial suit, Sanofi filed a countersuit in February 2012, which was later dismissed by Judge Linares.
Athletics and drugs do not share the spotlight often, but when the two combine, it usually turns heads. At the center of this spectrum is the omnipresent controversy of performance-enhancing drugs. An issue that was once conveniently covered up in order to pack ballparks and, thus, maximize profits (e.g., the inflated power numbers in Major League Baseball in the late 1990s and early 2000s) is now the subject of hyper-scrutiny by professional sports leagues, athletic committees, and even the US federal government—courtesy of taxpayer-funded revenue.
In 2012, this issue takes center stage on the international level leading up to the 30th Olympiad in London, which opens today. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), the global Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have announced the launch of the 2 FIELDS 1 GOAL: Protecting the Integrity of Science and Sport campaign, a program that aims to achieve the goals of the Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Fight against Doping in Sport.
Efficient energy consumption has taken to the friendly skies with a little help from the sun—and pharma. The Solar Impulse, a Swiss solar-powered airplane, is attempting to make its longest flight—from Switzerland to Morocco with a layover in Spain—in a 48-hour intercontinental test flight piloted by project originators Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg.
Bayer MaterialScience became an official partner of the project in 2010, according to a May 24, 2012, press release. Since then, more than two dozen scientists at the company’s laboratories in Leverkusen, Dormagen, and Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany, have been tasked with brainstorming ideas for lightweight construction and energy efficiency.
Guest blog written by Reid Paul.
In contentious three days of hearing on the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court now seems far more likely to overturn the landmark legislation. Given the strong support the bill originally received from the industry, does overturning it benefit or hurt pharma? Read more »
Amid one of the most divisive eras in our nation’s political history, one thing we can all pretty much agree on is the fact that our stalled economic engine needs a jumpstart. Read more »
From PharmTech.com