Medicinal Theater
BioMarin Pharmaceutical and Believe Ltd. sponsored a first-of-its-kind theatrical production for teenagers with hemophilia. The musical, Hemophilia: The Musical, took place at New World Stages on Nov. 12, 2018. Before the performance, students participated in the Breaking Through! Musical Theater Intensive, a three-day workshop that included coaching sessions on the impact of breathing and relaxation on pain management, as well as the psychosocial benefits and therapeutic value of self-expression in the arts.
“Our hope is that this program will reach beyond the teens performing in the musical and provide learnings for the broader community on the connection between artistic expression and wellness," says Hank Fuchs, M.D., president of worldwide research and development at BioMarin.
Poor Clinical Trial Data Management Delaying Drug Development
Pharmaceutical companies share significant concerns over their ability to bring more drugs to market faster due to clinical data challenges. A new global study, commissioned by Oracle Health Sciences and conducted by Pharma Intelligence, revealed that 57% of the clinical researchers surveyed believe that their clinical data issues result in trial delays. In addition to trial delays, 81% of respondents cited data governance issues as the biggest challenge in meeting regulatory compliance. The top three data issues are duplicate data/inconsistent data, data quality, and data integrity/traceability.
Raising Awareness about Impact of ALS on the Family
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America is accepting submissions of original visual and written artistic content from teens impacted by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Through a new initiative called ALSO US, Mitsubishi Tanabe is helping to raise awareness about the challenges teens face when a parent or other family member is diagnosed with ALS.
An estimated 5,000 to 6,000 Americans are diagnosed with ALS each year. Teens who have a parent with ALS can experience emotional challenges and may need support to cope with such an overwhelming disease.
CROs Modernizing Clinical Trial Processes
Contract research organizations (CROs) are driving industrywide momentum to unify clinical systems and streamline clinical trial processes, according to the Veeva 2018 Unified Clinical Operations Survey: Annual CRO Report.
Speeding study execution has become a top priority for CROs, especially as sponsors continue to outsource study start-up processes. Findings show that nearly 80% of CROs are taking steps to improve study start-up.
The survey reveals that CROs lead sponsors in adopting purpose-built clinical applications, particularly in study start-up (33% of CROs vs. 17% of sponsors) and CTMS (66% vs. 54%).
Novartis Launches Sickle Cell Storytelling Project
Novartis is teaming up with Grammy-nominated singer, film, and Broadway star Jordin Sparks and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) to launch Generation S, a national sickle cell disease (SCD) storytelling project that encourages anyone touched by SCD to help inspire the sickle cell community.
People can go to JoinGenS.com to share their experiences with sickle cell disease through the end of November, as written stories, photos, or audio or video recordings. Submissions will start to be shared later in the fall, and the collection of stories from around the country will come to life in February 2019. A few participants will also have the opportunity to meet Jordin in person and to work with a professional storyteller on a video to capture their personal experience with sickle cell disease.
Use and Cost of Orphan Drugs
Despite a record-breaking number of new approvals, orphan drugs remain a nominal part of overall drug spending, accounting for only 9.6% of total sales in the United States in 2017, according to a new study released today by the IQVIA Institute. The study was commissioned by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) for the second year in a row to show trends in orphan drug usage and costs.(PV)
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Awards…
Flexion Therapeutics Named Top Place to Work
Flexion Therapeutics has been named one of the top places to work in Massachusetts for the second consecutive year. The rankings are based on the results from an annual employee survey conducted by The Boston Globe.
GSW Named Agency of the Year
GSW, a Syneos Health company, has been named Agency of the Year (AOY) in the 2018 Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards sponsored by Modern Healthcare and sister publication Ad Age. The agency received additional accolades for its work on digital, print, video, and social media campaigns. One campaign recognized is that for Hollister and Suavita, which targeted purchasers of ostomy products, particularly nurses in emerging markets. Hollister educated clinicians on ways to avoid compromising care for cost.
Horizon Ranked as Top Small & Medium Workplace
Horizon Pharma has been named one of the 2018 best small and medium workplaces by Fortune and Great Place to Work for the third consecutive year based on employee feedback. This year, Horizon was also ranked as the best place to work in biopharma and was named to the best workplaces in Chicago and best workplaces in New York (2018) lists.
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PharmaVOICE 100 News
Dr. Laurent Schockmel Named CEO of Antidote Technologies
Antidote Technologies, the digital health company that connects patients with medical research, has named Dr. Laurent Schockmel as CEO. He assumes day-to-day leadership of the company and joins Antidote’s board of directors. Dr. Schockmel is a 30-year veteran of the life-sciences, technology, data and services industries. Dr. Schockmel is a PharmaVOICE 100 — 2009.
Glenn Bilawsky Leads Recently Formed Company
Conversant Bio, Folio Bio, Discovery Life Sciences, and Phylogeny have merged under the name Discovery Life Sciences, creating a leader in biospecimen analysis and procurement. Glenn Bilawsky, a longtime executive in the pharmaceutical and contract research industries, is Discovery’s CEO. The new company leverages scientific expertise and consultative services to accelerate the discovery, research, and development of novel biomarkers, drug candidates, and diagnostics. Mr. Bilawsky is a PharmaVOICE 100 — 2005, 2010.
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eBook
Women + Health — An Industry Movement
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Medical Storytelling: The Human Element in Hard Science
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Would CMS’s Drug Pricing Transparency Requirement Really Lower Prices?
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Key Considerations for Parkinson’s Disease Trials
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Infographic: How the 340B Discount Applies in the Hospital Setting
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