Pharmaceutical Executive-04-01-2001

Effective DTC Product Web Sites Must Synthesize Advertising and Labeling Requirements

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.