ESMO 2009: new lease of life for Vectibix in colorectal cancer?

Results from two Phase III studies presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2009 show statistically significant benefits via the addition of Vectibix to both first- and second-line chemotherapy for wild-type KRAS metastatic colorectal cancer. These positive data could help Vectibix to overcome Erbitux's first-to-market status and usurp its current position.

MORPHOLOGICAL, PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDIES ON PLUMERIA ALBA

Plant is a biosynthetic laboratory, not only for chemical compounds, but also a multitude of compounds like glycosides, alkaloids, terpenoids, steriods etc. and posses important pharmacological activities used to alleviate different disorders. Herbs are vital source of drugs from the ancient time holding the scenario of the Indian system of medicine.

The whole 5 pages article is available for download at Downloads section of Farmavita.Net.

Biotech in the New EU Member States: Policy Recommendations

The study carried-out on the development status and capacity of healthcare biotechnology in the new EU Member States and candidate countries shows a much contrasted picture of biotechnology development in this region. Each country has a different economic development strategy and a unique history and capacity in the life-science and healthcare sector which determines its path to development. Based on these observations, it would be unsuitable to propose general recommendations in a sort of unique formula to build or develop a healthy healthcare biotechnology sector.

Donwnload free 14 pages report at our Download Section.

Biotech in the New EU Member States: an Emerging Sector

This report is the first of its kind to try and understand the state of the biotechnology industry in the new Member States and candidate countries. As with any bottom-up work, it took a lot of effort and persistence to gather data on current and prospective developments in this area. Our goal was to strengthen the understanding of the European biotechnology scene and we believe that with the knowledge accumulated we have reached this goal. This report should enable policy makers and investors to make informed decisions about biotechnology support and development. The databases developed during this project will also provide better international visibility to the companies, which could lead to new cooperation or investment.

Donwnload free 33 pages report at our Download Section.

Biotech needs the right policies to stay on track in new EU Member States

Brussels, 25 September 2009

EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, and Venture Valuation, with the collaboration of national stakeholders, yesterday published a ground-breaking report "Biotech in the new EU Member States: an emerging sector"(1), evaluating the biotech industry across the 12 newest EU Member State, as well as Turkey and Croatia.

Community Antibacterials - Pipelines wither as generic tidal wave takes its toll

Datamonitor research points to this sector, beleaguered by patent expiries, barriers to market entry and uptake, becoming increasingly inclement towards branded drugs. Generic incursion has taken a heavy toll on the market at a number of levels. The volume of key brands facing generic competition makes it even harder for remaining products to court large revenues in the community sector.

Molecular systems to open new markets

As a result of the increasing switch from live-attenuated and killed whole-cell vaccines to subunit antigens, there is a need for novel antigen delivery technologies to improve vaccine efficacy and safety. This report assesses key strategies, technologies and products for vaccine antigen delivery. It provides an overview of opportunities and challenges for the sector and a future outlook.

ICAAC 2009: promising pipeline presents hope in the battle against MRSA resistance

The increasing prevalence of community-acquired strains of the MRSA virus stood as one of the key issues at this year's Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. The severity of MRSA disease, and its ability to accumulate resistance to antibiotics, illustrates the high unmet need for suitable treatment, particularly drugs that can be administered orally.

ANTITUBERCULAR DRUGS

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes or talks.

The whole 26 pages article is available for download at Downloads section of Farmavita.Net.

HIRSUTISM

Hirsutism is defined as the excessive growth of terminal hair on the face and body of a female in a typical male pattern distribution. Hirsutism is a common clinical problem in women and the treatment depends on the cause of hirsutism. Untreated hirsutism can be associated with consi-derable loss of self-esteem and psychological morbidity.

The whole 24 pages article is available for download at Downloads section of Farmavita.Net.

Getting Social

Network innovation is growing... person to person in online forums and office corridors.

Innovation has gotten a bad rap. The term evokes scientists toiling over test tubes under the harsh glare of laboratory lights. To be sure, a good deal of R&D, particularly around specific product development, results from such structured discovery. Increasingly, however, radical innovations are being hatched outside the lab. And companies are often learning that open communication unlocks innovation better than reliance on lonely pursuit does. Informally, in online forums and office corridors, people from divergent backgrounds learn of each other's interests and challenges and discover unexpected business opportunities. And ascompanies pursue innovation, technology becomes a vital tool in connecting global networks of consumers, suppliers and even competitors.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is featuring Farmavita.Net in their recent report on innovation. Donwnload free 16 pages report at our Download Section 

New Approaches to Pharma R&D: Evolving strategies to rejuvenate R&D efficiency

With industry consolidation, the economic downturn, and an increasing threat from generics, pharma companies are coming under greater pressure to fill their pipelines with innovative drugs. However, despite the costs and risks involved in drug development, the pharma industry is finding new ways to streamline the R&D process in an effort to increase efficiency and output.

Osteoporosis - Novel agents to battle for payer acceptance

Osteoporosis continues to be an attractive therapy area for large pharmaceutical companies due to its high prevalence rate and unmet need. Globally, sales for osteoporosis drugs grew 7.0% year-on-year from 2004 to $9.6 billion in 2008 driven by strong performance of the bisphosphonate class.

Study setback presents ominous signs for key osteoporosis drug class

Eli Lilly terminates development of osteoporosis drug.

Eli Lilly has discontinued the development of osteoporosis drug arzoxifene after a recent study found that treatment with the second generation selective estrogen receptor modulator caused an increase in adverse events. The results raise further questions over the commercial potential of this drug class, with regulatory bodiesthe FDA likely to be increasingly concerned over their safety.

MEDICINAL UTILITY OF SOME HERBS IN VETERINARY PRACTICES FOR THE TREATMENT OF WOUNDS AND INFECTIONS

Animals have had very significant role in human civilization and culture. They have been domestic for agriculture, milk, flesh, transport, recreation etc. Over a long period of time and through trial and error, the ethnic and rural folk have developed a wealth of domestic healthcare practices.

The whole 4 pages article is available for download at Downloads section of Farmavita.Net.

ANALYSIS OF MICROBIAL LIMIT TEST IN BAKERY PRODUCTS

Analyses of bakery products are essential as these may affect the overall health of the persons and consumers. The microbial limit tests are designed to perform estimations of specific microorganisms in the samples.

The whole 3 pages article is available for download at Downloads section of Farmavita.Net.

Acute Leukemias - Persistent unmet needs confer significant commercial opportunity

While existing treatment strategies for adult acute leukemia may yield satisfactory remission- induction rates, a major clinical concern is the high rate of disease relapse despite attempts to optimize post-remission consolidation therapy. This is acutely problematic among elderly patients who are frequently unable to tolerate the rigors of more intensive treatment approaches.

Chronic Leukemias - Is there room left for improvement?

CLL is the most common form of leukemia in western countries. Recent therapeutic advances have improved the rate and duration of remission, although there is no consensus over the optimum regimen. CML has a lower incidence than CLL, but is a commercially lucrative indication for Gleevec (imatinib; Novartis) which continues to enjoy blockbuster success, having revolutionized the treatment of CML.