ADVERTISEMENT
Log in here to read the desired article.
ADVERTISEMENT
This author has not written his bio yet.
But we are proud to say that Michael Kuhrt contributed 541 entries already.
When penicillin was discovered by Dr. Alexander Fleming in 1928, people around the world believed it was one of the greatest medical and scientific advances in the history of mankind and they were right. Before penicillin, a bacterial infection in a minor cut or injury could easily become fatal. Diseases like scarlet fever, pneumonia, meningitis and diphtheria were essentially untreatable.
I am spoiled for choice this month on things that make me happy about biotech. Three things have happened across Europe that confirm the field has great people that work hard, recognise the truth when it is kicking you in the ankle and aren’t afraid to try something different.
In the past year, the debate surrounding increased transparency of clinical trials has seen a great deal of progress. From an industry perspective, we have engaged more openly with a greater diversity of stakeholders on the topic – a positive development, as an intelligent exchange of ideas is needed to determine the best path forward.
Welcome to December, and a rather nautical analogy this month. I don’t mean the title of this piece literally of course messing with nature is what biotech is supposed to do (in a well thought-out and good way, of course) and I stand up to be counted with all those people who mess about with what nature and evolution have so kindly provided.
Put simply, biotechnology is the use of living organisms to develop useful products. Its basic principles have been employed to alter plants and livestock for domestication for thousands of years.
Hurrah for the news that a GM yeast has been developed that can convert crop waste into biofuel! Not just because this is an awesome thing in its own right (which it is), but also because it opens up the intriguing thought that we could start using those rascals to do lots of things that GM-doubters would like.
The start of Europe’s new financial framework and the framework research programme Horizon 2020 seems a good moment to take a step back and look into some recent and not so recent – but even more substantial – changes in (bio-)technology policy paradigms.
A recent interesting look at markets beyond Europe has given some interesting food for thought. You know, sometimes the EU is actually easier to do business in than many other places. Sounds a bit crazy, but compared with some emerging markets, Europe looks like a safe place to invest in the longer term.
Biosimilar products are not generic medicines, nor are they identical to their reference product or each other. Instead, they are similar versions of well-established recombinant proteins with well-characterised structures and pharmacology. All biologics (biosimilars and reference products) have complicated safety and immunogenicity profiles.
Europe has a wealth of talent and skills embedded in its regions, skills which are highly diverse and usually associated with a long history of trade and culture.