Published by Erik Greb on February 22, 2010
under Biotech, Manufacturing, North America News, R&D, Trends
These 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 »
Published by Erik Greb on January 11, 2010
under Manufacturing, North America News, Outsourcing, R&D, Trends
Last week we saw more signs that pharmaceutical megamegers bode ill for New Jersey workers. Business Week reported that Pfizer (New York) planned to close six research and development (R&D) facilities—some of its own, and some of Wyeth’s (Madison, NJ). Many of the 400 employees at Wyeth’s research offices in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, could be laid off. And last Wednesday, Richard Clark, CEO of Merck (Whitehouse Station, NJ), told attendees at a Goldman Sachs conference that research jobs at Schering-Plough’s (Kenilworth, NJ) headquarters could be eliminated to reduce costs. Read more »
Published by Erik Greb on December 7, 2009
under Biotech, Manufacturing, North America News, Products, Regulation
Last week, Genzyme’s (Cambridge, MA) Allston Landing, Massachusetts, plant resumed production of Cerezyme, the company’s treatment for Gaucher’s disease. Genzyme presumably found and eliminated the source of contamination that had been reported weeks earlier. You’d think that after putting out this latest fire at the troubled plant, the company would be justified in heaving a sigh of relief. Read more »
Published by Patricia Van Arnum on November 3, 2009
under R&D, Trends

In a speech last week to the City Club of San Diego, John Lechleiter, chairman and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly, offered very candid remarks about the state of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, saying that the engine of biopharmaceutical innovation is “broken.” His comments may be a bitter pill to swallow in light of escalating investment in research and development (R&D), but his frankness may just be the remedy the industry needs to reinvent itself. Read more »
Published by Erik Greb on November 2, 2009
under Latin & South America News, Manufacturing, Regulation
The pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries have jealously guarded their intellectual property for years. Companies routinely use patents to prevent competitors from making generic versions of their drugs. When pipelines have weakened, companies have developed new formulations or delivery methods to extend patent protection for their established drugs. The economic crisis has only sharpened this reflex.
That’s why news from Ecuador made me do a doubletake. Read more »
Published by Angie Drakulich on August 11, 2009
under Industry conferences, Regulation
We’ve all heard that quality by design and science/risk-based approaches to pharmaceutical manufacturing require a paradigm shift among industry. Well, that message was reinforced again today at the 3rd Annual Pharmaceutical Technology Conference in Philadelphia, PA. Read more »
Published by Erik Greb on July 27, 2009
under Asia News, Europe News, Manufacturing, Trends
Reading the news sometimes gives me a disorienting sense of déjà vu. I know I wrote that last week, but it’s true again for a different reason. Today, French heavyweight sanofi aventis (Paris) announced that it was acquiring a majority stake in Shantha Biotechnics (Hyderabad, India). This new development follows a now-familiar pattern. Read more »
Published by Maribel Rios on July 21, 2009
under Biotech, Trends
To 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 »
Published by Patricia Van Arnum on July 17, 2009
under Biotech, R&D, Trends
The shift in stem-cell policy by the Obama administration and ensuing federal guidelines for human stem-cell research is creating renewed interest in the potential of regenerative medicine as a therapeutic option. As a case in point, the advocacy group, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, was formed earlier this month to promote regulatory, research, and reimbursement policies that will foster innovation in regenerative medicine. The alliance, which includes universities, life-science companies, and healthcare investors, will also serve as a source of information about regenerative medicine for policymakers, the media, and the general public. As the bioethics of certain types of regenerative medicines are debated and its scientific potential evaluated, a bottom-line question arises. Can regenerative medicine generate sufficient financial returns to make it a viable option for the pharmaceutical industry? Read more »
Published by Alexis Pellek on July 2, 2009
under Packaging & Labeling, Products, Regulation
The US Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday it is requiring a black box warning for two drugs used to aid smoking cessation, Chantix (varenicline, Pfizer, New York) and Zyban (bupropion, GlaxoSmithKline, London). Read more »
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