Swine flu: will it provide a proving ground for vaccine adjuvants?

As vaccines move into indications and patient populations outside traditional target groups, improved technologies are required to overcome the hurdles associated with these novel challenges. Vaccine adjuvants are thus seen as a crucial tool to expand the vaccines market, and the current swine flu pandemic may provide an ideal proving ground to demonstrate the benefits they can bring.

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Superbugs: neglecting infections could have deadly consequences

The World Health Organization has highlighted the lack of available treatments for multi-drug resistant pathogens as a major global health issue in a recent report. Without commercial incentives to develop new antibiotics, however, substantial gaps in the types of infections that pharmaceutical companies are seeking to cover are likely to remain, with potentially fatal repercussions.

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Stroke: UK has lowest usage of CT brain scans

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Stroke: two-fifths of UK emergency testing takes more than two hours

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Stroke: only 3% of Japanese cases occur in hospitals

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Stroke: 7% of UK patients present within necessary time window

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Stents: new findings could dramatically change the market

A study has suggested that the mortality risk posed by stent thrombosis is increased five-fold for STEMI patients receiving drug-eluting stents, compared to bare-metal stents. If proven, stent development is likely to move away from new drug-coated stents allowing smaller companies a chance to compete with leading players such as Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson.

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Stem cell research: Europe seizes the advantage

The House of Lords committee was set up to review the ethical implications of allowing human embryonic cloning for research into degenerative diseases. Despite fierce campaigning by 'pro-life' groups, it came out in favor. Particularly after the recent restrictions imposed in the US, a 'reverse brain drain' of investment from the US to Europe could be on the cards.

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Statins: can the third generation make an impression?

In November 2002 Crestor, AstraZeneca's third generation statin, received its first approval, marking the arrival of the new "superstatins" and illustrating the new threat to the current market leaders Pfizer and Merck & Co. However, this new generation of dyslipidemia treatments may not be as successful as earlier launched products and may suffer from the maturing nature of the market.

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Stada: biosimilars need different marketing strategy

The EMEA's positive opinion on Stada's anemia drug Silapo marks the second approval of a biosimilar version of Johnson & Johnson's Eprex. However, the company has named the drug differently from its reference product, highlighting the unresolved issue of the naming of biosimilars. Stada cannot rely on automatic substitution and a different marketing approach from generics is necessary.

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