Archive for the ‘Industry News’ Category

School of Pharmacy affiliates with Tampa-based CoreRx

Thursday, April 8th, 2010
One of many steps necessary in building a school of pharmacy was taken last month when USF cemented an affiliation agreement with local pharmaceutical firm, CoreRx Inc.

The multi-faceted agreement will provide for internships for pharmacy students and volunteer teaching by CoreRx Inc. scientists, said Kevin B. Sneed, PharmD, dean of USF’s School of Pharmacy.

“The opportunity for our students to spend time with a firm that is at the front end of prescriptions is invaluable,” Dr. Sneed said. “And it is only the beginning of what will be a varied educational experience for our students, who will ultimately have a keener understanding of the drug-making process. This knowledge will help our graduates take leading roles in managing and delivering technologically-advanced pharmaceutical care in tomorrow’s patient-centered practice. This affiliation also affirms our commitment to create innovative academic-entrepreneurial partnerships.”

“We’re thrilled to offer this affiliation with USF and to offer a hands-on learning opportunity for its pharmacy students,” said Todd R. Daviau, PhD, CEO and co-founder of CoreRx Inc.

“We are excited about the fact that CoreRx will continue to play a role in furthering the development of pharmacy students.”

Among the key concepts pharmacy students will learn through CoreRx Inc. will be the early development stages of pharmaceuticals, how tablets and capsules are made (with hands-on instruction), and the functionality of additional ingredients found in modern-day drugs. In addition, students will learn hands-on processes utilized in the manufacture of a wide range of pharmaceutical dosage forms.

This is not the first time CoreRx Inc. has connected with USF’s education mission. They have hosted USF chemistry students on paid internships for nearly two years.

CoreRx Inc. was founded in 2006 and is a contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing organization that helps pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies bring new drugs to the clinic quickly and efficiently.

Dr. Sneed championed and was the major architect of the proposal for USF’s four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, which was approved by the Florida Board of Governors in January 2009. Housed within the USF College of Medicine, the USF School of Pharmacy plans to admit its first class of student in August 2011.

For more information about CoreRx Inc., visit www.corerxpharma.com.

Posted in CoreRx News, Industry News |

Combination Products should be considered

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

According to Pharmaceutical Technology, there has been a surge in the number of combination product (i.e. where a drug product is combined with a medical device) launches in recent years and this trend is set to continue as more companies seek to extend the life of existing branded medicines.

http://blog.pharmtech.com/2010/02/18/industry-should-consider-combination/

Additionally, fixed dose combination products (FDCs) are on the rise. With dwindling pipelines, limited resources, & expiring patents, now, more that ever, combination products are being considered in drug development portfolios. However, regulatory hurdles, physician acceptance, and market strategy, are just a few considerations that one should address. This brief overview will cover specifics regarding fixed dosage combinations (FDC’s), and will hopefully give your company a better understanding to the challenges ahead.  > Read More (PDF)

Posted in Formulation Development, Industry News |

Working together to improve Healthcare

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Shorter Path to Drug Discovery share research on failed compounds between companies the new MIT lead approach-
Posted on November 18, 2009 by Albin Paul . 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have, started a pharmaceutical innovation program to help drug companies adapt some successful approaches now used in aeronautics, like lean management and information-sharing among rivals.  more:  http://web.mit.edu/cbi/research/newdigs.html

The M.I.T. initiative, called NEW Drug Development ParadIGmS or NEWDIGs has garnered the support of

•Aetna
•Bayer Healthcare
•Brookings Institution
•Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
•Eli Lilly and Company
•U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
•Johnson & Johnson
•Medco Health Solutions Inc.
•Pfizer Inc.
•Quintiles Transnational Corp.
•Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
•WellPoint Inc.

One short-term goal is to identify, and rectify, the root causes of bottlenecks in the existing system. Longer term, the ambition is to create new prediction models, new ways to share information about the biology of diseases, and a new inclusiveness involving earlier participation of regulators, health insurers, health care providers and patients.

So How do they plan to change the way we conduct drug discovery and developement?

1. share information about compounds they have tried and shelved, for reasons like toxicity or inefficacy.

Results of clinical trials are availale online for free, whether or not they succeed. But no pharma company talks about projects that fail at an earlier stage. A result is that companiesother waste many millions going down experimental paths that their competitors have already tried and failed.

http://web.mit.edu/cbi/research/newdigs.html

Posted in Industry News |

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