Archives for November 18, 2014

Dispatches from the Financial Times Global Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Conference

Pipelines not tax cutting should prompt smaller pharma mergers says AstraZeneca exec

2014 has seen record pharma M&A activity but top management of some of the key dealmakers – including Novartis, AstraZeneca and Shire – say size doesn’t always matter.

FDA commish in China in search of more facility inspector visas

US FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg is traveling to China this week and at least part of her trip will be devoted to securing visas for new drug manufacturing site inspectors.

Demand for early formulation work to tackle drug target ‘Wild West’

Sponsors are turning to outsourcing earlier for help with bioavailability formulation, say contract research organisations (CROs)

Ricerca Biosciences bought by private equity fund; 199 jobs saved says CEO

Ricerca Biosciences has been bought by private equity group Main Market Partners in a deal that means the contract research organisation's (CRO) 199 employees keep their jobs. 

Collaboration can fix ‘broken’ clinical trials model TransCelerate CEO tells CROs

Collaboration does not mean drugmakers have started playing nice, it’s just that the pain of shared problems has become unbearable according to TransCelerate Biopharma CEO, Dalvir Gill.

Needles no more: say hello to a tube of squeezable biologics

Drug companies are looking for ways to put biologics in topical creams or “zap” them into skin using electricity as more large molecules come off patent.

Expert cautions: DSCSA deadlines may cause drug shortages

Drug shortages could be an issue in the near future as some wholesale distributors and drug suppliers may not be able to meet a key Jan. 1 deadline from the Drug Supply Chain and Security Act (DSCSA), an expert says.