Pharmaceutical Executive-04-01-2001

April 01, 2001

Bagsvaerd, Denmark-Niche players with good exposure to US markets are showing strong growth, bucking the notion that size is everything in the pharmaceutical industry. And, if it is true that the industry is recession-proof, that situation is unlikely to change, even in the event of a US downturn.

April 01, 2001

Effective DTC Product Web Sites Must Synthesize Advertising and Labeling Requirements

April 01, 2001

Brussels-Two types of mutual recognition procedures are necessary to ensure that generics get to market as quickly as possible, according to the European Generics Medicines Association.

April 01, 2001

Pretoria, South Africa-Few people noticed that the ground had begun to crumble under Big Pharma when, after the failed World Trade Organization talks in Seattle, Washington, the Clinton administration indicated that it would take note of the effects of its trade policies on healthcare in developing countries. Multinational companies had hitherto been able to take the support of governments for granted when it came to policing intellectual property, but Clinton's move indicated a major shift in policy. Few noticed, because the rhetoric wasn't immediately matched by reality. In fact, the US government continued to pressure countries whose intellectual property protection seemed too weak. Then the new Bush administration, thought to be an unwavering ally of the pharmaceutical industry, indicated it would continue the Clinton policy.

April 01, 2001

Patents before profits. That soundbite snagged my ears and turned my full attention to the CNN business report. I recognized the voice and the face}Ray Gilmartin, chairman of Merck. Calmly and reasonably, he explained how extraordinary circumstances in the developing world demand that his company uncouple the normally fused objectives of high profitability and unwavering patent protection.

April 01, 2001

Developing Palatable Medicines for Children is Never Easy, But the Rewards Can Be Great

April 01, 2001

Uniondale, New York, USA-Thirty-eight companies submitted proposals to develop OSI-774, OSI Pharmaceuticals' lead cancer candidate, making it the most sought-after compound of 2000. The statistic was revealed with some satisfaction by Myrtle Potter, chief operating officer of Genentech, the joint winner-along with Roche, its majority stockholder-at the Economist Conferences' annual pharmaceuticals conference.

April 01, 2001

FDA's Final Rule Forces the Pharma Industry to Change It's Clinical Trial Culture

April 01, 2001

Genentech's sprawling campus overlooking San Francisco Bay seems serene on the surface, but internally, the company resonates with energy.

April 01, 2001

London-The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has decided that Roche's Xenical (orlistat) should be available from the National Health Service for managing obesity and its related problems, but it should not be viewed as a slimming pill.

April 01, 2001

How to Hire the Right Reps, Train Them to Excel, and Retain Them for the Long Run

April 01, 2001

Although industry seeks to protect its rights, the only long-term solution is working with the international community to address the AIDS crisis and other serious health problems.

March 01, 2001

Marketers Face A Slew of New Challenges as FDA Examines the Rx-to-OTC Switch