Logo

It's a Tough Time to Be a Pharma

Dec 08, 2008

Looking for some bad pharma news? You've come to the right place. In this story, the Wall Street Journal reports on a gloomy forecast from Severin Schwan, CEO of Roche, who predicts that some drug makers will face bankruptcy or mergers due to a lack of "innovative medicines." He is quoted as saying, "Those who fail to bring sufficient innovation will be squeezed out of this market."

In other news, Stephen Albainy-Jenei at Patent Baristas has a post reporting on findings from the European Commission indicating that pharmas have "engaged in delaying or blocking market entry of competing medicines." He adds, "The EU thinks that ... these [delaying] practices result in significant additional costs for health care -- and ultimately taxpayers and patients -- and reduce incentives to innovate."

 

Breaking News
The Scan

Fertility Fraud Found

Consumer genetic testing has uncovered cases of fertility fraud that are leading to lawsuits, according to USA Today.

Ties Between Vigorous Exercise, ALS in Genetically At-Risk People

Regular strenuous exercise could contribute to motor neuron disease development among those already at genetic risk, Sky News reports.

Test Warning

The Guardian writes that the US regulators have warned against using a rapid COVID-19 test that is a key part of mass testing in the UK.

Science Papers Examine Feedback Mechanism Affecting Xist, Continuous Health Monitoring for Precision Medicine

In Science this week: analysis of cis confinement of the X-inactive specific transcript, and more.