Heart Drugs: Brand Names No Better Than Generics, Study

US scientists reviewing 20 years of research and expert opinion on generic versus brand name drugs in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases found no clinical evidence showing brand names were superior to generic versions even though a substantial number of experts writing editorials advised against interchanging them.
The study was the work of Dr Aaron S [...]

Practical Management Of Norovirus Outbreaks - A New One-Day Course From The Royal Institute Of Public Health, Tuesday 13th May 2008, UK

Noroviruses are a group of viruses that are the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis and the HPA estimates that they affect between 600,000 and a million people in the UK each year. Infection can spread rapidly, and as Norovirus outbreaks continue to hit the headlines, the RIPH is pleased to announce it is running [...]

Cheaper Drugs Now Closer To Realization With New DropArray Technology

A standard laboratory tool for measuring pharmacological activity of biological substances and performing other related tests may soon be replaced by a new miniaturized bioassay that will be faster, cheaper and more efficient for scientists to use, with new technology developed by Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN).
The new assay, named DropArray, slashes the [...]

“Generics: The Right Choice For Better Health” Is Theme Of GPhA’s 2007 Annual Meeting

The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) will host its 2008 Annual Meeting, “Generics: the Right Choice for Better Health,” on February 11-13, 2008, in Boca Raton, Florida. Featuring presentations from government, industry and Wall Street leaders, the meeting will examine the current healthcare environment and generics’ critical role in promoting affordable healthcare in the United States.
“As [...]

Blockbuster Renewable Fuel Standard Plus Advances In Biotechnology Will Transform U.S. Energy Picture And Economy, BIO Says

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) applauded President Bush and Congress for enacting the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, containing the new renewable fuel standard (RFS) that explicitly supports production of 36 billion gallons of biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol and advanced biofuels.
Brent Erickson, executive vice president for BIO’s Industrial and Environmental Section, issued the [...]

Nearly 700 New Medications In Development To Treat Diseases Affecting Blacks, PhRMA Report Says

Drug companies are working on 691 new medicines that treat diseases disproportionately affecting blacks, according to a report issued by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the Memphis Business Journal reports.
According to the report,
* 229 of the drugs are for cancers that disproportionately affect blacks;
* 114 [...]

The Informed Patient: What The European Union Has To Do

The three representatives of the European Parliament in the EU High Level Pharmaceutical Forum, Francoise Grossetete, Dagmar Roth-Behrendt and Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, hosted a conference entitled The informed patient - What the European Union has to do at the European Parliament in Brussels.
A wide range of European stakeholders discussed concrete ways to reduce the current inequalities [...]

Wall Street Journal Examines Challenges Drug Industry Will Face In Coming Years

“Over the next few years, the pharmaceutical industry will hit a wall,” the Wall Street Journal reports in an examination of challenges that face large pharmaceutical companies. In future years, some of the “top-selling drugs in industry history will become history as patent protections expire,” with generic competition “expected to wipe $67 billion from top [...]

Study Shows Clinical Care Pharmacy Services Lower Injuries, Cost

Interventions by a critical care pharmacist in a surgical intensive care unit helped a hospital avoid spending almost $280,000 over four and a half months, and 85 percent of those interventions were judged to have prevented medication-related injury in patients, according to a study in Dec. 1, 2007, edition of the American Journal of Health-System [...]

APhA Views Behind-The-Counter Drug Status As Way To Improve Access To Care, Medication Use

Recently, at a public meeting sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) strongly supported the concept of making certain drugs available without a prescription, but only after consultation with a pharmacist. The FDA is seeking information and views from the public regarding such a “behind-the-counter” (BTC) status of [...]