Like every sector of the UK economy, life sciences has been beset with uncertainty since the country voted to leave the European Union. Last week prime minister Theresa May finally gave us some clarity on her plans for Brexit, which will allow us to prepare for the future.
The surprising election of Donald Trump as the next US President led to a spectacular comeback of biotech shares. The long-term prospects depend on Trump’s healthcare strategy and the (much-desired) return of generalist funds.
The randomised clinical trial (RCT) is the gold standard for drug evaluation. RCTs provide the core for drug development and subsequent drug approval often in the form of rigorously designed efficacy trials in carefully selected subjects. In fact, in- and exclusion criteria are often so restrictive that only 17% of patients from outpatient clinics would be eligible for trials in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Well, that was a weight off my chest, better out than in, as they say. After Brexit, at least the world will be pulled back into its axis with the election of America’s first woman president and wait a minute, what are you saying? No, that can’t be right he won? Really? REALLY?
With globally at least 30 million of cases per year, sepsis is a major health threat for which a specific adjunctive sepsis therapy beyond antimicrobial treatment, surgical source control and supportive intensive care measure is still missing.
Well, those bloody idiots in the UK managed to do it talk themselves from decades of hysteria about straight bananas (entirely fabricated by one B Johnson during his time as a journalist in Brussels) into actually voting to leave.
The European Patent Office (EPO) is currently pushing the project Early Certainty in order to speed up examination of patent applications. The aim is to complete examination within 12 months between request for examination and intent to grant the application or refusal.
Biologics have transformed treatment for life-threatening diseases and benefited millions of patients – but remain out of reach for too many other patients around the world. Ten years after the first biosimilar medicine was approved, competition from these products has driven increased access and healthcare system savings.
Plant breeding innovation is an impressive story to tell. A hundred and fifty years ago, Gregor Mendel discovered the basic principles of inheritance of traits. His laws were widely ignored and only in the 1920s, finally recognised as the fundament of population genetics. So it has only been a good 100 years that we have properly understood how to improve crops no longer randomly but in a targeted manner.