R&D/Clinical Trials

As new ICH GCP draft guidelines now require root cause analysis, novel methods for risk analysis and triage must be adopted in drug development.

With the emerging industry commitment to publicly disclose research and clinical trial results, two pivotal issues come to mind - and serve as a reminder to companies that true transparency depends on the truthfulness of the evidence that binds it.

A new wave of technologies supported by innovative business models is transforming the vaccine landscape - and raising the bar on performance. As the demand for cures for chronic diseases accelerates, and with more global outbreaks of viral diseases like Zika and Ebola a virtual certainty, solutions can’t come soon enough.

Can novel drug delivery technologies offering options beyond the traditional tablet or syringe transform the therapeutic experience for patients?

Vaccine R&D has grown exponentially in recent years, spurred by ethical and medical needs to combat lethal infectious outbreaks and increased funding from public and private agencies and organizations.

Canada’s Rx&D, the industry’s oldest functioning trade association, recently changed its name-with a mission of bridging the many points of collaboration that drive the process of modern drugs, from discovery to market.

A closer reading of this year's JP Morgan investor conference identifies three areas where the insular, often maladroit tone of the industry-investor dialogue may be morphing to something more grounded in the larger societal context of healthcare.

The changing tides in the global healthcare market are showing no signs of letting up. Here's my take on the opportunities, threats, and other big issues facing the industry in the new year.

Cleveland Clinic’s Top Medical Innovations for 2016.

Drug pricing backlash threatens regulatory reform, R&D advances

December 02, 2015.

For years, many companies have competed to demonstrate that their products could achieve the holy grail in type 2 diabetes (T2D): cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction. According to the American Diabetes Association, pharma companies to date have spent over $2 billion and tested 138,000 patients in company-sponsored CV-risk reduction T2D trials, including the recent large-scale TECOS, SAVOR, EXAMINE, and ELIXA studies. 

The Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) is advocating a “systems thinking” approach in efforts to meet increasing demands to standardize and integrate support for trial sites.

Casey McDonald previews pharma’s Oscars, the Prix Galien USA Awards, which this fall will bring some red carpet glamor and, hopefully, cheer to the industry.

September 28, 2015.

Pharm Exec sits down with prominent biotech investment strategist, Tony Gibney, to better gauge today’s state of play in this critically innovative segment of the life sciences industry.

The need for biopharma executives to combine a "culture of quality" with value-added processes and improvements in the area drug manufacturing is critical. Here are steps and strategies than can help.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) researchers have seen more than their share of hopefulness and disillusionment over the years. Recent apparent gains targeting one of the disease’s two molecular bull’s-eyes may have reinvigorated drug development, or it may have set developers and investors up for letdown once more. To follow the news coming out of July’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington, one had to be prepared for both glass half-full and half-empty interpretations.

Mike Straw argues that many pharmaceutical companies are mistaking simple cooperation for collaboration.

Finding the R&D sweet spot.

A review of an online, cross-sectional survey in Belgium that was conducted to systematically assess the opinions of clinical research professionals from different stakeholders about using social media as a targeting recruitment tool.

As the industry continues to face declining R&D productivity, one efficient way of making the failure rate lower is to use data, writes Adam Towvim.

Patient centricity requires clinical trials to be based on life outside the lab, writes Mads Holme.

Conversely, social media discussions about study requirements and procedures may discourage participation and undermine study integrity, according to experts at last week’s Drug Information Association (DIA) annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

William Looney reviews EvaluatePharma's World Preview 2015 - Outlook to 2020, launched at last week's BIO International Convention.

Drug development has never before been so difficult, time consuming and expensive. Accuracy in clinical trials, therefore, is a priority

Masters of the deal converge in New York to discuss the status of their trade and the forces propelling M&A, licensing, and partnerships in the life sciences for 2015.

Susan Crowley reviews the hotly debated agenda items from last month's World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland.