Research & Development
Targeted Therapies A Sustainable
Business Model
For many rare diseases there is as yet no satisfactory treatment Rare diseases are defined as lifethreatening and or serious and chronic diseases according to the European Orphan Medicinal Products regulation These diseases represent a high unmet medical need Rare diseases with their genetic origin and because of small number of patients to be tre...
Computerised Cognitive Function Assessment
Coming of age
Cognitive function testing was first introduced into drug development to assess the unwanted side effects of many medicines to produce impairments to mental functioning and is still widely utilised to establish whether newer medicines are relatively free from such effects However the opportunities for medicines to improve cognitive function in the...
Prophylactic and Therapeutic Vaccines
A novel approach for treatment of cancer
Despite progress on several preventive and therapeutic fronts cancer remains one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide According to the estimates about million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed and approximately deaths will occur due to cancer in the United
Preclinical Research in Big Biotech
Vertical integration is the key
In the biotechnology world starting a new venture is fraught with a mixture of excitement and anxiety Using a new technology or drugs platform that has yet to prove itself in the clinic and the marketplace can be one of lifes greatest adventures for scientists and entrepreneurs As companies transition from that initial phase and with some succes...
Biopharma Convergence
Heralding a new era
It might not have been in the wildest dreams of Genentech and HoffmanLaRoche Inc that what they were about to do would be a harbinger for other biotech and pharma companies The deal between the two firms in the year is considered as the pioneer of convergence between pharma and biotech Genentech was facing an uncertain future when its sales hit at...
Can Genomics Provide?
Blockbuster Drugs in Defiance of \\\'Personalised Medicine?
Despite years of chemotherapy there is still no effective treatment for stage IV metastatic disease If there were cancer would lose its terror The current treatment first popularised by Emil Frei in s involves the use of cytocidal or at least cytotoxic drugs Cancer cells are treated as if they were viral or bacterial microorganisms Drugs that expl...
Evaluating drug solubility in lipid-based delivery systems
Poorly soluble drugs are often formulated in lipidbased Self Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems SEDDS to improve their oral bioavailability These SEDDS are multicomponent formulations containing lipids surfactants and polar organic solvents necessary to solubilise the drug One key factor affecting the performance of these formulations is the solubil...
Challenges for R&D success in China
Novo Nordisk\'s experience
Novo Nordisk NN has pioneered RD in China by setting up the first pharma RD organization in Beijing in late Over the past years the RD centre has become a skilled biotechnology provider in core areas of expertise Building on the past achievements in establishing technology platforms the centre will now undertake the challenge to become a codriver...
Novel Genetic Vaccines
Rational design and standardised evaluation
Edward Jenners work in developing the worlds first smallpox vaccine in the s demonstrated that it was possible to protect the general population from major threats to public health and vaccine development aimed at combating the major concerns of the day has continued ever since There have been many successes and vaccines are now available to immuni...
How Similar are Biosimilars in India?
A blind comparative study
Indias rising prominence in the field of biogeneric products offpatent biopharmaceuticals also known as Biosimilars in Europe or Followonbiologics in US is evident from the large number of biogeneric products getting marketing approval A number of biopharmaceutical proteinbased products are due to go offpatent in the next few years which will bring
