Biopharmaceutical Collaboration Is a Sign of the Times

Erik Greb PharmTech editorThis morning I read about a public–private collaboration that reflects many of the latest trends in the drug industry today. The project began when the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) created the 21st Century Biodefense (21CB) initiative to enhance the nation’s biosecurity. Robert J. Cindrich, who is leading the initiative, said in a press release that the project’s goal was to foster advances in vaccine development and manufacturing. Battelle (Columbus, OH), a research and development organization, IBM (Armonk, NY), Merck (Whitehouse Station, NJ), and GE Healthcare (Waukesha, WI) have all joined the collaboration so far. Read more »

The Unkindest Cuts of All

Erik Greb PharmTech editorThese days, mandatory furloughs and staff cuts have employees in all industries nervously glancing over their shoulders. The pharmaceutical industry is no exception. Last week, Merck (Whitehouse Station, NJ) revealed plans to reduce its workforce by 15% by the end of 2012. Read more »

The Nanoparticle Link in Process Understanding

Maribel Rios PharmTech editorPharmaceutical scientists are still just beginning to understand the working mechanisms of nano-sized particles in drug delivery. For formulators, one of the key challenges has been to design particles that increase bioavailability of the drug to specific targets but still have minimal side effects to the patient. For manufacturers, processing nanomedicines requires having to rethink traditional production operations. How do the unique properties of nano-sized particles affect the means in which they are handled, blended, mixed, coated, lyophilized? Read more »

Wyeth Says Yes to Pfizer Takeover

Maribel Rios PharmTech editorTo no one’s surprise, Wyeth shareholders approved yesterday the $68-billion merger agreement with Pfizer. The vote was overwhelming: 98% in favor. The final step is the approval by the Federal Trade Commission and international regulators. The mega deal, one in three this year (Merck and Schering Plough; and Roche and Genentech) emphasizes the bottom-line industry mantra: diversify to compete. Read more »

Dark Horse or Albatross?

Erik Greb PharmTech editorReading the news sometimes gives me a disorienting sense of déjà vu. I felt it again when I read that Ranbaxy (Gurgaon, Haryana, India) had recalled a batch of its acne drug isotretinoin after the US Food and Drug Administration found that the product’s dissolution-test results were out of specification. Didn’t this happen once before? Read more »

Drug Delivery Could Someday Be Child’s Play

Erik Greb PharmTech editorAs a kid, I enjoyed playing with remote-controlled cars. It was exciting to watch the cars speed around, turn where I wanted, and go where I told them to go. Researchers at Harvard have developed what could eventually be a drug-delivery method that’s not far removed from this childhood pastime. Read more »

Are Facility Inspections a Zero-Sum Game?

Erik Greb PharmTech editorPerhaps out of embarrassment at the stream of incidents involving contaminated products, the US Food and Drug Administration has requested the largest budget increase in its history. The agency intends to use part of the funds for its proposed Safer Medical Products initiative, which will scrutinize domestic and imported drugs. Will it use the money wisely? Read more »

The Other New Jersey Giants

Erik Greb PharmTech editorIt’s déjà vu all over again. Little more than a month after Pfizer (New York) announced that it would acquire Wyeth (Madison, NJ), Merck (Whitehouse Station, NJ) and Schering-Plough (Kenilworth, NJ) have unveiled their own merger agreement. The combined company will be called Merck and be based in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Schering-Plough CEO Fred Hassan will help during the merger, but Merck’s CEO Richard Clark will lead the combined company. Read more »

Pfizer & Wyeth: When the Going Gets Tough, the Big Get Bigger

Erik Greb PharmTech editorIt’s official. The wires had been buzzing with rumors for several days, and today Pfizer (New York) announced that it would acquire Wyeth (Madison, NJ) for about $68 billion. The transaction will bolster Pfizer’s pipeline and improve its biopharmaceutical portfolio with the addition of Wyeth’s “Prevnar” pneumococcal vaccine and “Enbrel” arthritis treatment. The resulting company will be so diversified that it expects that no drug will account for more than 10% of its revenue in 2012, according to a Pfizer press release. Read more »

Innovation or Bust?

Maribel Rios PharmTech editorInnovation used to be a term dedicated to a company’s visions for growth. Keeping one eye on the roots of your business and the other on long-term prospects was a smart strategy. Against a backdrop of a nose-diving economy, however, it seems as if “innovation” now has less to do with growth and more to do with survival. Read more »

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