 Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities, brings to you some highlights from current pharma and clinical research news, views and data. Presented below are updates in Pharmaceutical and clinical research- Significant Differences Found In US, UK Osteoporosis Treatment Guidelines. MedWire reported that, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, "researchers from New Zealand have found striking differences in the recommendations for management of skeletal health when applying US and UK osteoporosis treatment guidelines to elderly women." In a study of 1,471 postmenopausal elderly women, researchers compared recommended osteoporosis management based on guidelines from the US National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and the UK's National Osteoporosis Guidelines Group (NOGG). They found that "applying the NOF guidelines identified 76% of women with hip fractures and 63% with osteoporotic fractures who needed treatment," but "applying the NOGG guidelines identified only 38% of women with hip fractures and 27% with osteoporotic fractures who needed treatment."New Drug Combined With Diovan May Help Lower Blood Pressure. WebMD reported that adding Novartis' AHU377, "a new kind of blood pressure drug called a vasopeptidase inhibitor," to Diovan (valsartan) "works better than either drug alone, a manufacturer-sponsored clinical trial suggests." The "combination of the two types of drug creates a new molecule," called an ARNI, which when tested among "1,328 adults ages 18 to 75 in 18 nations" with "mild-to-moderate high blood pressure," resulted in boosting "the blood-pressure lowering effect of Diovan" for all dosages tested. MedPage Today also noted that the study's researchers "asserted" that their "encouraging findings warrant large clinical trials in hypertension, diabetes, and heart or renal failure." The study results were presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting. Experimental Once-A-Day Malaria Drug May Be As Effective As Twice-Daily Pill. Bloomberg News reported, "An experimental once-a-day malaria drug worked as well at treating the mosquito-borne illness as Novartis AG's twice-daily pill Coartem [artemether and lumefantrine]," according to a paper in The Lancet. "Pyramax, developed by Shin Poong Pharmaceutical Co. of South Korea and the Geneva-based Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), cleared the disease-causing parasite from the blood of 99.5 percent of patients in Africa and Asia after 28 days, compared with 99.2 percent for Coartem," researchers explained. Yet, "pyramax, also known as pyronaridine-artesunate, 'still has to be assessed in a real-life setting across the wider population of patients who need antimalarial treatment, including those who are malnourished or have anemia,' the study's authors wrote." Moreover, the author of an accompanying comment pointed out that the study was somewhat limited by the fact that the trial included older adults and children who could have built up immunity, He also explained that some of the participants were found to have increased liver enzyme levels while taking the drug. Still, MMV welcomes the study, maintaining that having a cornucopia of anti-malarial treatments will spur market competition and possibly reduce costs. Global Health Initiative To Fund Battle Against Malaria Among Children, Women In Africa. Reuters reported that through the Global Health Initiative, the government plans to focus on battling malaria, especially in African populations of women and children. Over the next six years, the US will invest $63 billion, and a portion of the monies is expected to supply nearly 70 percent of those at highest-risk in Sub-Saharan Africa with insecticide-treated nets and sprays and artemisinin-based drugs. According to the report issued by USAID, public health authorities will also try amalgamate their efforts with other plans to tackle TB, HIV/AIDS, and neglected tropical disease. Vaccine That Could Help People Stop Smoking Shows Promise In Clinical Trials.
CNN reported that "a vaccine designed to stimulate the immune system to generate antibodies that would latch on to nicotine in a smoker's body and prevent it from ever entering the brain" has been "showing promise in early clinical trials, researchers announced this week at a national meeting of addiction specialists." Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said, "Finding effective treatments that can help people stay off cigarettes has been a real challenge." Dr. Collins added, "This phase III trial of a nicotine vaccine offers tremendous hope towards solving this immense public health problem." Radiolabeling Conjugated Trastuzumab May Help Physicians Track Its Cancer-Fighting Progress.
MedPage Today reported that "tagging a copper isotope to conjugated trastuzumab (Herceptin) might allow doctors to monitor the progress a drug is having in combating cancer," according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Cancer Research. Scientists, "in animal models...illustrated that the noninvasive procedure monitors expression levels of cell-surface receptors." One researcher said, "Monoclonal antibodies are attractive vectors in the development of diagnostic imaging agents because of their specificity." Multi-Vitamins During Pregnancy May Reduce Risk Of Giving Birth To Underweight Babies. The UK's Telegraph reported that "taking multi-vitamin pills during pregnancy could significantly reduce the risk of giving birth to underweight babies." Specifically, a study of 402 pregnant women "found cases of small-for-gestational age (SGA) births were less than half as common in mothers who had taken 'multiple micronutrient supplements' during pregnancy when compared to a placebo group." The Telegraph adds, "The research, by the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, suggests some women in parts of Britain could be exposing their children to health problems in later life as a result of poor diet during pregnancy." The UK's Independent reports that that participants in the study, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, "had higher levels of vitamin and mineral deficiency than the general population, indicative of a poor diet." In fact, "more than two thirds (72 per cent) had low levels of vitamin D in their blood, 13 per cent were anaemic...and 12 per cent were deficient in thiamin." "The UK has one of the worst records in Western Europe for babies of low birth-weight relative to time spent in the womb. In fact, "it is worse than Cuba and on a par with Romania at 8 per cent." http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/05/vaccine-that-could-help-people-stop.html Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10 Shruti has initiated a new blog Http://www.PharmaceuticalCareerDevelopment.blogspot.com which contains articles on motivation, career counselling and coaching, job search strategies, personal branding etc. especially for pharma professionals.Do you have questions for the author?
 People often tell me they were on LinkedIn, or went to a networking group, or met someone when they were out-and-about and got a name of a potential contact for their job search, but don’t know how to reach them. “What good is the name without their phone number or email address? It doesn’t do me much good if I can’t connect with them!” It’s great if you are given a phone number and/or email address with a name, however, with a little creativity and initiative you can certainly find other ways to get in touch. Here are some ideas and techniques to make those connections: ~ Call the main number! Often people forget the simplest and most obvious solution to getting in touch with a new contact… call the company and ask for them! It’s ideal to have a direct-line phone number to the person you’re trying to reach. However, if you don’t, it’s generally pretty easy to find the main company phone number (either from their website online, a phone book, or calling 411), call and ask for the person by name. Generally a phone receptionist won’t put you through to anyone if you ask a general question like “May I speak to the Accounting Manager, please?” However, if you ask for someone by name, they will always put you through. Even if the person works at another company facility than the one you are calling, they generally have the overall company directory and can put you directly through to that person. Call and ask for them by name.Additionally, if you call after business hours, many companies have an automated answering system with a company directory that will often tell you the extension of the person you are trying to connect to. That’s often a great way to gain the direct-line number of someone. ~ Google! As with so many things… Google is a tremendous resource to find contact information. More than half of the time I'm trying to find contact information, I’m able to do it by searching their name and company name through Google. If, for example, I’m trying to find John Mansky at XYZ Company… I simply search: "John Mansky” “XYZ Company” I make sure to put his name in quotes to avoid unwanted results like John Smith and Bill Mansky. Scanning down the list of results, I often find some document or site that has their phone number and/or email address. If there are too many results, I may try to narrow the search by trying his name with their web domain. For example: “John Mansky” “xyzco.com”. Their email address is likely to include their web domain, so if the address is “john.mansky@xyzco.com” the search is likely to find it. If that doesn’t work, I may do a search to find ANY email address at that company to discover what their standard email format is. For example, I may simply search:email “xyzco.com” If someone else’s email address pops up that is in a format of 'firstname.lastname@xyzco.com’, for example, I know it’s a very high likelihood that my contact’s address is in the same format. If it’s wrong, their email server will simply bounce the email back to me and no one is the wiser. If it does bounce back, I simply try other common formats like: firstinitiallastname@xyzco.comfirstname_lastname@xyzco.comfirstinitial_lastname@xyzco.com…or other combinations. ~ Check emails4corporations! Another great resource to help you find the standard email format for the company where your contact is employed is emails4corporations. Someone has compiled a tremendous list of standard email formats for companies all over the country. You can find them at: http://sites.google.com/site/emails4corporations Enter the company name in the search box at the top right corner of the homepage and it will show you the company, email format, address, and phone number. It doesn’t cover every company, however, is a great help if yours is included. ~ Try JigSaw.com! JigSaw.com is probably the worlds largest ‘Rolodex’. It includes the business card information of millions of people. It rarely lets me down and is the last resort resource for me when trying to find someone’s contact information. You can either use it by paying for the service, or for free on a give & take point system. So it take a little money or some effort on your part. However, for me as a recruiter, or you as a job seeker, I believe it’s a very worthwhile resource when you need contact information you can’t seem to find anywhere else. ~ Paid Services. Certainly there are a number of additional paid services (Spoke, ZoomInfo, and others) available online that can provide the information for you as well, however, I’m generally a big fan of “FREE”. It’s pretty rare that I can’t find someone’s contact information through one of the means listed above. Try those and then depending on how badly you need it, a paid service may be worth it. Generally, I don’t recommend contacting someone directly through LinkedIn’s system. Many people receive a lot of communications through there and have become conditioned to treat them like Spam. It’s generally best to reach them by phone, a professional voicemail, or email first. However, if none of those works, as a last resort, you have nothing to lose by trying the LinkedIn contact system as well. As always, make sure your communication is professional, well prepared, and succinct!You can gain more help with that by reading Keys to a great email in your job search! or What to do in an effective networking call! Be creative, take the initiative, and find the way to connect with those job search contacts!References- http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2010/05/i-got-contact-name-now-what.html http://pharmaceuticalcareerdevelopment.blogspot.com/2010/05/job-search-strategy-series-what-further.html
 Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities, brings to you some highlights from current pharma and clinical research news, views and data. Presented below are updates in Pharmaceutical and clinical research- Experimental Prostate Cancer Drug Combined With Prednisone/Prednisolone Appears To Reduce Mortality Risk. Bloomberg News reported, "Sanofi-Aventis SA said new data from the late-stage Tropic trial showed that the experimental prostate cancer medicine cabazitaxel combined with prednisone/prednisolone reduced the risk of death by 28 percent, in an emailed statement today." In fact, the combo treatment improved survival by an average of 15.1 months, compared to the 12.7 months in patients administered mitoxantrone with prednisone/prednisolone. At present, the drug is undergoing a priority review by the FDA, which should be completed by the third quarter. Notably, the results are expected to be presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.
Drugmaker Proposing Shortened Research Path For Cholesterol Drug.Bloomberg News reported that Karo Bio AB, "a Swedish pharmaceutical company with no products on the market," is currently "hatching a drug-testing shortcut to catapult its experimental cholesterol pill," called eprotirome, "into a potential $1.3 billion-a-year seller." Being that "eprotirome works in a novel fashion, regulators such as the US Food and Drug Administration require patient testing that can take at least five years and cost more than $500 million -- time and money Karo doesn't have." Steven Nissen, head of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic, "and Karo are proposing a shortened research path, one based on requirements the FDA imposed a year ago on diabetes drugs." FDA Warned At Least 43 Drug Plants In Recent Months Over Manufacturing Practices.
USA Today reported that, "At least 43 drug factories supplying medication to thousands of US consumers have received government warnings in recent months for failing to correct shoddy manufacturing practices that may have exposed patients to health risks, a USA TODAY review of records shows." The violations "include plants using equipment and ingredients contaminated with bacteria or insects, failing to do proper testing to ensure drug strength and purity, and ignoring consumer complaints that products were making them sick." From 2002 to 2006, "more than half of inspections at domestic drug plants and 62% at foreign plants supplying the US had violations that didn't prompt warning letters, but were classified as requiring correction, FDA data published by the Government Accountability Office show. The FDA allegedly declined to provide more recent numbers." Lamotrigine May Be Most Effective Antiepileptic Drug For Older Adults.
Medscape reported, "Lamotrigine is the most effective antiepileptic drug (AED) in older adults with epilepsy, with levetiracetam a close second, according to the results of a retrospective review of 10 AEDs reported in the April issue of the Archives of Neurology." The study compared "the effectiveness of AEDs in older adults with epilepsy seen at Columbia University, using a study sample of 417 outpatients at least 55 years old," and found that "lamotrigine had the highest 12-month retention rate (79%), which was significantly higher than the 12-month retention rate for carbamazepine (48%), gabapentin (59%)" and levetiracetam (73%). Investigational Drug May Suppress Appetite, Lower Blood Pressure. WebMD reported that "an experimental weight loss/blood pressure pill may pack a one-two punch against hunger and high blood pressure...according to new research presented at the American Society of Hypertension's 25th annual meeting in New York." The pill, called "Qnexa, combines the appetite suppressant phentermine with the anti-seizure drug topiramate in a unique formulation." Later this year, "data on this drug are slated to be reviewed...by an FDA advisory panel." Further, the highest dose of the drug combination induced a 'substantial' weight loss of 10% after one year and resulted in significant drops in systolic blood pressure. FDA Grants Orphan Drug Status To Potential Type-1 Diabetes Treatment. Dow Jones Newswire reports that the FDA granted Osiris Therapeutics Inc. orphan-drug designation for its stem cell therapy Prochymal as a treatment for type-1 diabetes. The drug is currently in midstage trials, and Osiris is seeking approval for multiple indications. Shingles Vaccine Appears To Be Well-Tolerated, But Not Widely Used.
MedPage Today reported, "The vaccine against shingles, already shown to be effective, is both safe and well-tolerated, researchers" at the Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System "found after following more than 38,000 participants in the randomized trial that led to the 2006 approval of the vaccine." Meanwhile, after surveying some "600 internists and family medicine physicians," the authors of a second paper appearing in the Annals of Internal Medicine discovered that "few people are getting the vaccine, and for a variety of reasons -- including its cost." But, the "cost of treating postherpetic neuralgia is far more," a physician who was not involved with the study said. Vitamin A May Improve Response To Standard HCV Treatment. MedPage Today reported, "Early and sustained virologic responses to standard treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were markedly improved when patients also received high doses of vitamin A," according to a Japanese study that included 42 participants. "After 48 weeks of treatment with standard doses of pegylated interferon-alpha2b, ribavirin (Rebetol), and 30,000 IU/day of vitamin A, 61.7% of patients had achieved sustained virologic responses, compared with 42.9% of patients taking only the standard therapies without the vitamin." Notably, the "recommended daily intake of vitamin A in the US ranges from 2,310 to 3,000 IU/day for adults," but the researchers pointed out that the "very high" doses administered during their trial had "no adverse effects." Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/05/pharmaceutical-r-updates-fda-grants.html Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10 Note : Shruti has initiated a new blog Http://www.PharmaceuticalCareerDevelopment.blogspot.com which contains articles on motivation, career counselling and coaching, job search strategies, personal branding etc. especially for pharma professionals. Do you have questions for the author?
Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities, brings to you some highlights from current pharma and clinical research news, views and data. Presented below are updates in Pharmaceutical and clinical research- Pioglitazone May Slow, Stop Progression Of Insulin Resistance To Full-Blown Diabetes. According to research presented at the World Congress on Controversies to Consensus in Diabetes, Obesity, and Hypertension, "in patients with insulin resistance but near-normal glycated hemoglobin levels, pioglitazone (Actos) treatment cut the rate of progression to full-blown type 2 diabetes by 70% relative to placebo." Specifically, "the annual rate of progression to diabetes in the 602-patient trial was 1.8% with pioglitazone versus 6.0% in the placebo group," the study authors found.Biosimilar Development Said To Be More Difficult Than Generic Endeavors. Merck & Co.'s decision to end its effort to copy Amgen Inc.'s Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) anemia drug may highlight the difficulties drugmakers face when developing biosimilars. The FDA is asking some companies to conduct extensive clinical trials, which increases the risk and may limit the industry to only the largest drug companies, the Journal notes. In addition, biosimilars will likely have their own brands and not be automatically substitutable for biotechnology therapies, as opposed to traditional generics, which can earn the majority of market share in months. Biotech Industry Sees Profitable Year Following Research Cuts. Bloomberg News reported "Biotechnology companies worldwide turned a profit last year for the first time since at least 1985 as those led by Celgene Corp. reduced spending on research while revenue increased." Ernst & Young Global Ltd.'s report on biotechnology in the US, Europe, Canada and Australia found that profit "in the industry was $3.7 billion, compared with a loss of $1.8 billion in 2008." About two-thirds of companies cut their research and development spending, which fell 13% in the US last year. Gates Invests In Drug-Software Company To Aid Drug Development.
The Wall Street Journal reported Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates is investing $10 million in Schrodinger LLC, a pharmaceutical-software maker, as part of a bid to improve drug development. The investment will put Gates in a field looking to apply high-performance computers to simulate the process that chemists have used to find new drug compounds. Schrodinger says it will use Gates' money to hire more scientists and specialists to improve the software so it can make better predictions on which compounds will prove effective. Remission In RA Possible With Biologic Drugs. MedPage Today reported that "more than half of rheumatoid arthritis patients who achieved remission during treatment with infliximab (Remicade) were able to discontinue the drug for more than a year without flaring," according to a study published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Researchers found that, "of 102 patients, 55% had disease activity scores below 3.2 one year after withdrawal of the tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, indicating low disease activity." The researchers also found that "43% had scores below 2.6 after discontinuation, indicating that they were in remission." Methadone Use During Pregnancy Associated With Risk Of Visual Problems In Babies.
MedPage Today reported that, according to a study published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, "infants whose mothers used methadone during pregnancy may be at risk for a range of visual problems." To arrive at this conclusion, Scottish researchers examined "records of children referred to a pediatric visual electrophysiology service." In 20 children, they found that "all but one...had reduced visual acuity, and 70% had nystagmus." Liraglutide Added To Metformin May Benefit Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.
HealthDay reported that, according to a study published April 24 in The Lancet, "patients with type 2 diabetes who can't control their blood glucose levels with the drug metformin alone do better after adding injections of the drug liraglutide compared to oral doses of another drug called sitagliptin." In a study that randomized "patients whose blood glucose wasn't sufficiently controlled by metformin (Glucophage) to receive 26 weeks of treatment with liraglutide (Victoza) by injection or sitagliptin (Januvia) by mouth," investigators "found that the patients did better on liraglutide." An accompanying commentary noted that liraglutide "has improved benefits in terms of blood glucose control and weight reduction." FDA Tightening Its Oversight Of Infusion Pumps.
Food and Drug Administration officials are "moving to tighten their oversight of medical devices, including one of the most ubiquitous and problematic pieces of medical equipment," the infusion pump. Approximately "two million infusion pumps are used in hospital and clinical settings, and hundreds of thousands more are used by" home-bound patients who need their medication, insulin, morphine, or cancer treatments delivered intravenously. Yet, "over the last five years, the agency says it has received reports of 710 patient deaths linked to problems with the devices." In fact, there were 87 recalls between 2004 and 2009, 14 of which were prompted by potentially life-threatening issues, according to the Wall Street Journal. Apparently, the most frequent problem involved something referred to as "key bounce." There have been instances when a healthcare worker enters one number into the key pad, but it is actually recorded twice, which may cause the release of too much medication. "When I punch 10 digits in my cell phone...I don't get 11 or 12, and we should have that same expectation for infusion pumps...said," Jeffrey Shuren, the director of the FDA's device division. Shuren added that, "in one instance, a nurse wanted to set an infusion pump to deliver 20 mL/h of heparin to a patient, but accidentally entered two zeroes instead of one, which infused the patient with 200 mL/h of the blood thinner," After 56,000 such "reports of infusion pump malfunction" were received, "Shuren said the agency decided the 'old approach isn't working." So, instead of "dealing with individual device makers as safety problems emerge," the FDA "is beefing up its premarket approval requirements for manufacturers of infusion pumps." Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/05/biosimilar-development-said-to-be-more.html Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&DTranslates innovative concepts to PROFITS.YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10Do you have questions for the author?
 Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities, brings to you some highlights from current pharma and clinical research news, views and data.
She has initiated a new blog Http://www.PharmaceuticalCareerDevelopment.blogspot.com that would contain articles on motivation, career counselling and coaching, job search strategies, personal branding etc.
Presented below are updates in Pharmaceutical and clinical research-
Spanish Translations Of Prescription Information May Often Be Inaccurate Or Confusing. The Chicago Tribune reported that, "Pharmacies that print prescription labels translated in Spanish often issue inaccurate or confusing instructions that could be potentially hazardous to a patient's health, according to a report in the May issue of Pediatrics journal." The researchers evaluated "76 medicine labels generated by 13 different computer programs that many pharmacies use to make translations and found an overall error rate of 50 percent." The study also found that prescription information given in a mix of English and Spanish "is a frequent problem." Merck To Seek FDA Approval For Five New Drugs In 2010. Bloomberg News reported that, "Merck & Co. said it will seek US regulatory approval for five new medicines this year, including new treatments for hepatitis C and diabetes." The company also said US and European regulators are currently reviewing four other Merck drugs and 20 drugs are in late-stage testing. Some of the drugs that Merck will file for approval in 2010 include "a new form of contraception called Nomac/E2; an extended release form of the diabetes treatment Janumet [metformin/sitagliptin]; a pill that combines the cholesterol drug Zocor [simvastatin] with the diabetes treatment Januvia [sitagliptin metformin HCl]; the hepatitis C treatment boceprevir; and ridaforolimus for sarcoma, also reported that Merck has halted the development of an experimental anemia drug. Majority Of US' Best-Selling Drugs Are Generics. Forbes reported,, "The most popular medicine in the US," Vicodin (acetaminophen/hydrocodone), "was prescribed 128 million times last year, even as a panel of experts called together by the Food and Drug Administration recommended that regulators ban it." Forbes notes, "Only one drug in the top 15, Pfizer's Lipitor [atorvastatin], is a big-selling brand-name medication. The rest are cheap generic versions of one-time big sellers that have lost their patent protection and become commodities." Abbott To License Products From Zydus Cadila To Sell In Emerging Markets. The AP reported that, Abbott Laboratories will license at least 24 products in emerging markets through a new unit created to boost sales outside of the US. Specifically, "Abbott said it will license products from Zydus Cadila, based in India, and will sell them in 15 emerging markets." The device and drugmaker "did not specify which products, but said they complement its own generic drugs, including medicines for pain, cancer, and cardiovascular, neurological and respiratory diseases." Bloomberg Newsreported that Abbott "gained rights to market the drugs in 15 countries, among them Russia, Turkey, and Brazil. Financial terms weren't disclosed." Company spokesman Scott Stoffel explained that "Zydus Cadila will make the drugs for sale under the Abbott brand." Under terms of the agreement, Abbott maintains "options on licenses to market more than 40 additional Zydus Cadila products, the company said in its statement." The Wall Street Journal quoted Olivier Bohuon, executive vice president of Abbott's pharmaceutical products group, as saying, "The Zydus agreement complements our established products strategy, augmenting this business with a broad portfolio of branded generics." Basic Science May Not Be Translating Into Drug Approvals.
Newsweek reported that "frustration is growing with how few seemingly promising discoveries in basic biomedical science lead to something that helps patients, especially in what is supposed to be a golden age of genetics, neuroscience, and biomedical research in general." Newsweek added that many of the "potential cures, or at least treatments, are stuck in the chasm between a scientific discovery and the doctor's office: what's been called the valley of death." In addition, for "academia and the NIH, the system of honors, grants, and tenure rewards basic discoveries...not the grunt work that turns such breakthroughs into drugs." Extended-Release Carvedilol May Not Increase Triglyceride Levels In Hypertensive Patients Without Dyslipidemia. MedWire reported, "Extended-release carvedilol differs to extended-release metoprolol in its effect on triglyceride levels, but has a similar impact on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in hypertensive patients without dyslipidemia, trial findings suggest." The study "randomly assigned 568 hypertensive patients who did not have diabetes or require lipid-lowering therapy to receive extended-release carvedilol 20-80 mg or extended-release metoprolol 50-200 mg once daily titrated" and found triglyceride "levels did not significantly change with extended-release carvedilol," whereas "triglyceride levels significantly increased with extended-release metoprolol. Geometric mean HDL levels significantly decreased with both treatments, but the difference in mean percent change was not statistically significant." Newly Developed Vaccine May Reverse, Cure Malignant Melanoma. Researchers have developed a vaccine, "which will be tested on British patients over the next few months" that "can reverse and even cure malignant melanoma." The "vaccine...can target a tumour and kill it without damage to surrounding healthy tissues or cells." The treatment "contains DNA and fragments of tumour" that "activate only the specific immune cells which target melanoma." Trials of the vaccine are expected to "begin at hospitals in Manchester, Nottingham and Newcastle." http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/05/pharmaceutical-r-updates-newly.html Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
 You've seen them: the Domino's commercials talking up their new pizza recipe. Have you tried it? Well, lots of folks have, and it's changed everything for Domino's, according to an article in USA Today– New Pizza Recipe Did Wonders For Domino's Sales. Domino's was not doing well. They had a poor reputation and were at the bottom of an already shrinking pizza market in the middle of a recession–not a recipe for success. So what did they do? They bet everything on a brand-new recipe and a brand-new campaign, and not only is it going to keep them in business, it's looking to me like it's going to make them flourish. It was a brave move, and it worked. So what does this mean for you in your job search? If your old pizza isn't selling (you're not getting job interviews or offers), then it's not the kind of pizza they're looking for. You've got to be brave…throw that stuff out and come up with something they're going to want. If what you're doing now isn't working, you've got no risk at all in changing it up: get a brand-new resume, try a new style, try a new strategy, ask someone's opinion and take their advice. If you're having interview problems, think about practising it well or an overall fresh perspective on your style; take advise of well wishers, coach or whatever works for you. Create a 30/60/90-day plan, and bring it to the interview. Put together a brag book, and practice presenting it. Network, network, network....its the sure key to job leads. Do something different if what you're doing now isn't working. Not only are you likely to get better results, you're going to have renewed energy for your own campaign. If Domino's can do it, you can do it too ! http://pharmaceuticalcareerdevelopment.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-can-dominos-new-pizza-recipe-help.html Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10Do you have questions for the author?
 Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities, brings to you some highlights from current pharma and clinical research news, views and data. Health Canada Issues Warning On Transdermal Patch.
The Globe and Mail and The Canadian Pressreported, "A transdermal patch used to treat mild to moderate symptoms of dementia could also pose a risk of overdose, leading to nausea, hypertension, slowed heart rate or death." Health Canada on Wednesday "issued a warning" about the patch, called Exelon (rivastigmine), "after 129 cases of misuse of the drug were reported worldwide. Two of the cases caused deaths." Health Canada also "said problems with the Exelon patch occur when it is used incorrectly or erroneously," and consumers and health professionals are being urged "to follow directions, such as making sure only one patch is applied at a time to recommended locations on the body, such as upper arm or lower back. Patches should also not be cut into pieces." Scientist Says Anti-Aging Drugs May Be Available In Two Years.
The UK's Press Association reported that, "Medicines that can help people live healthy lives to 100 and beyond may be available in as little as two years," according to "Professor Nir Barzilai, one of the world's leading age scientists." The drugs will "involve biological pathways affecting metabolism, cell-death, inflammation and cholesterol." The Press Association notes that a "subsidiary of drug giant GlaxoSmithKline is looking at sirtuins, a family of enzymes associated with a whole range of age-related diseases including type 2 diabetes and cancers," while Merck and Roche are developing drugs that inhibit "cholesterol ester transfer protein," which "affects levels of 'good' cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein." Expensive Indigestion Drugs May Be Accompanied By Serious Side-Effects. The UK's Telegraph reported, "Patients who are prescribed expensive indigestion drugs" known as proton pump inhibitors "unnecessarily are risking serious side-effects." In fact, "between one half and two thirds of prescriptions were found to be inappropriate." According to a paper in BMJ, "they can increase the risk of pneumonia, osteoporosis, broken bones and kidney problems," as well as heighten the likelihood "of infection with the hospital superbug C. difficile." Drug-Resistant TB Strains Could Overwhelm The World Without "Significant Global Investment," Experts Warn. The UK's Press Association reported that, "A TB time bomb could explode on the world without major efforts to curb drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis, experts...warned" in a series of papers on the scourge. The "full extent of the spread of resistant TB" has not been adequately measured. "But two doctors writing in The Lancet medical journal argue that the 'superbug' strains could become dominant without significant global investment to tackle the problem." Presently, "TB remains a deadly scourge that fails to attract as many health dollars, euros, and yen as other diseases claiming as many or fewer victims," AFP (5/19) reports. "'Tuberculosis is unfashionable these days,' said Lesotho Health Minister Mphu Ramatlapeng at a press conference in Geneva, where the report was unveiled at the World Health Organization (WHO)." Accordingly, "40 percent of active infections in" certain "nations still go untreated," and "only a quarter of the estimated 1.4 million people infected with both tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS have been identified." And, "when patients fail to complete a treatment, the Mycobacterium tuberculosis germ that causes the disease develops a resistance to frontline drugs such as isoniazid and rifampicin." Already, there have been approximately 440,000 cases of MDR-TB, otherwise known as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. China and India's citizens are most affected, as 50 percent of the current infections were identified in patients residing in those countries. Nine percent of the cases are said to exist inside of Russia. Indeed, such cases can be treated, but at great costs and limited cure rates. But, experts wrote, "The future possibility of strains that are totally resistant to all anti-tuberculosis drugs is not inconceivable." What's more, "no region is spared -- the Global Project on Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Surveillance found MDR-TB to be at least 3% of new cases in at least one country in all six WHO regions," MedPage Today reported. Yet, "current technologies could start to turn the tide, if they were properly used." There are, however, "several barriers," including the facts that "most affected countries don't have the laboratories to diagnose drug resistance quickly," and "expensive medications must be used for longer periods of time and in some cases treatment costs can exceed a patient's annual income." Still, "new drugs and new diagnostic technologies are in the pipeline...but unless they are supported by improved public health programs, there is a risk they will be misused and lead to more -- not less -- resistant TB." "Radical New Approaches" Needed To Fight TB, Experts Say. For years, the World Health Organization and partners have fought TB largely with a program where health workers watch patients take their drugs -- even though the agency acknowledged in a 2008 report that this treatment program didn't significantly curb TB spread. Now, one paper appearing in "a special tuberculosis edition" of The Lancet quantifies that statement by pointing out that "more than nine million people" were "infected last year." In fact, "officials say there is more tuberculosis now than at any other time in history." Thus, "radical new approaches are needed, experts said Wednesday." These strategies should "go beyond health and include other sectors like housing, education, and transportation." Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. http://www.pharm-education.com/2010/05/radical-new-approaches-needed-to-fight.htmlHttp://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10Do you have questions for the author?
 Questions that make sense to ask… however, are very difficult to answer! MANY times, the best job leads come from the most unlikely sources! The best job lead may come out of the blue!
Over the last four years, I regularly hear people tell me something like: “I’ve been searching online postings and going to networking groups for months, but ended up finding the right job through……a referral from an 85 year old woman at my church one Sunday morning.…the stay-at-home mom next door that knew someone.…an old co-worker I hadn’t talked to in 15 years but ran into at the supermarket.…a previous boss that called me out of the blue.…a recruiter that found my information on LinkedIn.…a company I blindly called into, not knowing if they had an open position or not.…a conversation I had with someone I met at a coffee shop.…an email I got back from someone I had sent a monthly update to about my job search.…an introduction I sent someone based on an article I read about their company.…a referral of a referral of a referral!…and on, and on, and on"
There is no single best source of leads. The obvious ones (job boards, online and newspaper ads), are generally the least fruitful because nearly every other job seeker out there is checking out and pursuing those same ones.The reality and the challenge for the job seeker, is that you need to consistently pursue dozens of avenues, all the time!Don’t neglect any contact, lead, or idea you hear of. Use your time wisely, however, the best opportunity often comes from the least likely sources. Often the name you’re given that sounds like a dead-end lead (the 85 year old grandmother), may be the one that has the best contact, specific job lead, or idea for you.Will that always be the case? Of course not! However, don’t miss out on an opportunity by not chasing down every lead and contact you hear of. That means putting in enough time each day and managing your time effectively is key to being able to make each of those connections.If your days are primarily characterized by searching and responding to ads online, you are spending most of your time on the same resources as the vast majority of other job seekers out there. To effectively find and connect to someone that is not getting overwhelmed by candidates, you must go where others don’t.Make personal connections to people whether they have a job opening or not. Getting to opportunities before anything is posted is critical in beating the crowds.Don’t neglect the obvious avenues. You still need to check and follow up on job postings. You still need to attend networking groups. You still need to search out contacts through LinkedIn and connect to potential hiring managers and recruiters. However, don’t dismiss the stay-at-home mom next door when she says… “You ought to talk to my cousin Frank who works at XYZ Company. He’s not in your field, but his company seems to be doing well!” You have no idea… cousin Frank may know of a particular job, have a better networking contact for you, or know of resources that may be worthwhile for you.Effective networking is building relationships, one at a time, building a chain of referrals from one person, to the next, to the next, and to the next until you end up talking to the one that has the right lead for you!Does pursuing all contacts and leads make your job harder than just searching for jobs online? Absolutely! Is it likely to help you find a job faster? YES!You never know where your best job leads will come from. Check everything out and you may be surprised! Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10Do you have questions for the author?
 Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities, brings to you some highlights from current pharma and clinical research news, views and data. “It’s been a week since my interview and I haven’t heard anything...”“I had a great informational interview but that was the last I heard…”“I had a phone conversation with a good contact in the company…”“I have almost 100 people I’ve networked with in my job search so far…”“I met someone, at (an event) that said they knew someone, but haven’t heard back…”“…should I follow up?”these are the most common questions I’m asked regularly. And my response is always the same: YES!!! “But I don’t want to annoy them, or come across as a stalker.” …is a common reply. In my experience, I’ve found that candidates think they are being annoying long before the recipient of their follow ups ever do. Professional, timely, pleasant follow up is key to setting yourself apart from other candidates they are pursuing.Why should you follow up, and how do you do it effectively? Here are some ideas…Most people don’t follow up, it’s a chance to set yourself apart. Even after a formal job interview, generally less than 25% of people send a Thank You note of any kind. Other meetings, phone calls, email contacts generally get little to no follow up from most people. Doing something different from the norm, in a professional and upbeat way, will virtually always create a positive impression. You have far more to lose by not doing it, than the infinitesimal risk of losing an opportunity by doing it. Especially if someone else does follow up, and you don’t, you will lose by comparison. It’s another chance to cement a relationship. Whether it’s a casual networking contact, or a formal interview, the chances of gaining more consideration from them is very much dependent on building a relationship. If you only make an initial contact and they never hear from you again, it creates no reason on their part to invest any more thinking in helping or working with you. Building a relationship requires contact and effort in following up. It’s another chance to mention something you may have forgotten before. Although you don’t want to launch into an in-depth explanation of something else in your background in a follow up… a succinctly worded phrase or sentence adding value to your earlier discussion can help in improving their impression of you. It’s another chance to provide additional or new relevant information.Keep it brief! Too often, if someone does follow up, they either ramble on too long on the phone, or write too long in an email or letter. After the first minute of engaging in some way, patience begins to run out and there is either no chance of making a positive impact after that, or you are actually increasing the risk of annoying them. Even an extremely short “Just wanted to thank you again for your time” will have a more positive impact than 5 or 10 minutes of going further into in-depth information. That’s true in a phone call or written communication. It’s best to carefully plan exactly what you want to convey and say it as briefly as possible to make the best impression.Be professional! Regardless of how friendly your meeting or prior discussion may have gone, never assume too casual a relationship. Even though a hiring manager wants to like you to hire you, or a professional networking contact enjoys talking to you, in order to take additional steps with you they need to feel confident that you will always be professional with others they introduce you to as well. The referral process, and the hiring process is still essentially a business transaction. Don’t take it too lightly. Switch it up! Effective, and consistent follow up doesn’t mean a steady stream of phone calls every other day. That does become annoying. However, you can have some form of contact with them regularly to keep you fresh in their mind and build a further relationship with them in the process. Within a day of any of the scenarios listed at the top of this piece… Thank them. You might send them a Thank You card in the mail, or email a brief note, leave them a voicemail, or call and thank them for their time. Then, in a week or two, connect again, but in another form, and in two to 4 weeks again in yet another form. Keep the process going, but you end up actually talking to them directly only every couple of months. If they are hearing from you regularly, but in various and unobtrusive forms, you are building a relationship, not haranguing them. Building that professional relationship has everything to do with their perception of your persistence, your follow through, your professionalism, and their interest in you.Should you follow up??? Yes! Definitely! Absolutely!…but do it right! Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10Do you have questions for the author?
 Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moieties, brings to you some highlights from current pharmaceutical and clinical research news, views and data. The UAE government has announced proposals to introduce major amendments to the IP regime in the UAE. These proposed changes will have an impact across three areas:
- Confidential Information – Introducing, for the first time, a mechanism for protecting confidential information through the civil courts;
- Patent And Design Protection – Introducing numerous improvements to the current regime, including, clarifying the test to be applied for assessing what constitutes a patentable invention and extending the term of protection for registered designs; and
- Integrated Circuits – Introducing, for the first time, protection for layout designs for integrated circuits.
These changes have been proposed by way of amendments to the UAE's existing Patents, Industrial Drawings and Designs Law (No. 31 of 2006) (the "Patent Law").Confidential InformationThe biggest impact of the amendments is likely to be in relation to the protection of confidential information. The proposed amendments will for the first time:
- enable rights in confidential information to be enforced by way of an injunction;
- allow parties to non-disclosure agreements to enforce their rights by way of an injunction;
- provide a claim for damages in the event of unauthorised disclosure of confidential information;
- clearly define what constitutes protectable confidential information (broadly defined as information which is (i) confidential, (ii) has commercial value, and (iii) is subject to reasonable steps to maintain confidentiality); and
- provide specific protection for test data required for regulatory approvals for pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical products.
PatentsThe proposed amendments:
- clarify the basic standards of patentability, which were not expressly stated in previous versions of the Patent Law. The Patent Law will apply the following tests for patentability of inventions in the UAE:
- novelty is to be judged on an absolute, worldwide basis;
- inventiveness is to be judged by reference to what is obvious to the ordinary person skilled in the art; and
- the question of whether an invention is capable of industrial application is to be interpreted broadly, so as to include all types of industry, including handicrafts; and
- remove the requirement that an Arabic translation of a patent application must be submitted at the time of filing. This is very positive news for patentees and practitioners alike because of the very real risks which arise when translations of highly technical patents are prepared at the last minute before the filing of priority applications.
The deadline for filing Arabic translations has not yet been fixed but, if it matches the timetable for the submission of other supporting documents, then it is likely to be 90 days after filing. These amendments are welcomed, although some clarification is required and further changes are desirable, such as:
- allowing decisions of the Patent Office on the examination of patents to be appealed to the courts;
- clarifying which of the two filing languages (Arabic and English) takes priority when it comes to enforcement;
- clarifying how GCC patents are to be enforced in the UAE;
- clarifying the deadlines for the payment of annuities (the current Patent Law creates a good deal of confusion between the deadline for paying annuities for international filings and the deadline for paying annuities for national phase, priority filings);
- providing a mechanism for lapsed patents to be restored, in certain limited circumstances where the patentee is not at fault; and
- clarifying an existing provision which excludes infringement by manufacturers whose use of an invention predates the filing or priority date for the patent application. It is hard to make sense of this provision in its current form as the prior use of an invention would appear to destroy novelty, rendering the invention unpatentable.
DesignsThe proposed amendments:
- increase the term of protection for designs from 10 to 15 years; and
- clarify the basic standards of registerability, which were not expressly stated in previous versions of the Patent Law. The Patent Law will require novelty to be judged on an absolute, worldwide basis.
Similar to the position in relation to patents, this is welcomed although some additional clarification and further changes would also be beneficial.For example, the provision which excludes infringement by users of a design whose use predates the filing or priority date for the application should be removed. It is hard to make sense of this provision as such prior use would appear to destroy novelty, rendering the design unregisterable.Integrated CircuitsThe proposed amendments will for the first time introduce protection in the UAE for the layout designs for integrated circuits. The amendments envisage:
- a regime under which layout designs for integrated circuits can be registered with the Patent Office (although it is unclear as to whether there will be any examination process);
- a two year priority period (from the date of first commercial exploitation); and
- a 10 year term of protection.
References- http://www.pharmaceuticalpatentsandintellectualproperty.com/2010/05/united-arab-emirates-major-changes-to.htmlDisclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
Http://www.drshrutibhat.comExpert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10Do you have questions for the author?
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