Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat, particularly given the modest activity in the pipeline of new antimicrobials in development, and emerging resistance to existing antibiotics. In 2016, Lord Jim O’Neill published a globally-focused review on AMR, which highlighted the lack of incentives for new antimicrobial development and encouraged a worldwide system of push’ and pull’ incentives to stimulate new drug development.
According to the FMD 2011/62, serialisation of all prescription drug packs in Europe will inevitably become a daily routine for the pharmaceutical industry from 2019. European Biotechnology spoke with Philip Falkenstein, Product Manager at Bähren Druck, about the use of pre-serialised labels as solution for special implementation areas and the current legal framework.
In February, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS opened its first European open innovation incubator, JLABs @ BE, at the heart of the Beerse Janssen R&D Campus in Belgium. European Biotechnology spoke with Günter Huhle, Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS EMEA, about Johnson & Johnson‘s approach to open innovation and its tremendous global innovation network, currently comprising ten incubators and over 420 companies that have collectively raised over US$10bn in growth capital.
Big Pharma’s interest in R&D on anti-infectives declined when other areas like oncology began offering higher returns. A few biotechs mirror pharma (Basilea, Idorsia and Polyphor), but could stay hidden gems.
Back in February 2017, CDMO Rentschler Biopharma SE and formulation specialist Leukocare AG joined forces to give biologics and biosimilar makers a competitive edge through significantly stabilised end products. European Biotechnology spoke with Leukocare’s CEO Michael Scholl about the impact of formulation on drug product performance.
Following last year’s approval by the US FDA, the EU’s EMA has now also approved the first two T-cell-based immunotherapies against certain types of cancer. This marks the ultimate proof-of-concept for the acceptance of patient-individualised cellular immunotherapies. The regulatory authorities have moved fast, together with the companies and manufacturers, to bring these products to patients as quickly as possible. This is a good start but what does the future hold?
Independent investment analyst, Managing Director EQUI.TS GmbH_ Big data analytics is poised to change the way business is done in the life sciences. A string of recent M&A transactions illustrate this trend.
Plastics are magical materials, and they will be even more important in the future than they are today. But they lead to microplastics in the environment, especially noticeable as marine littering. The European Commission is now proposing, among other things, a ban on certain single-use plastic products, including plastic cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers, and sticks for balloons, which will all have to be made exclusively from more sustainable materials instead. The Commission’s legislative proposal must then be negotiated with the member states and the European Parliament. And here substantial changes should still be made because so far industry and politics continued to fail in this area.
Is cheaper always better when it comes to generics? What about when it comes to innovative medical uses of them?