Tuesday 26 April 2011

Novartis invested 50 billion in “smart-pill” technology

According to a report in the Economist, NOVARTIS, the Swiss pharmaceuticals giant invested $50 billion in Alcon (an American eye-care firm) and spent $24m to secure exclusive licences and options on drug-delivery technologies developed by Proteus Biomedical.  It made Novartis the biggest pharmaceuticals firm to embrace “smart-pill” technology.


Reasons for the deal:
  • Proteus’ technology points to “a promising new strategy” for a “troubled” industry.
  • Patents on many lucrative drugs are set to expire soon and most pharma companies have not discovered enough treatments to replace them.
  • With an eye toward maintaining fiscal stability, some drugmakers are tinkering with the idea of selling ancillary services tied to their offerings — like Proteus’ advanced medication adherence.
  • Medication adherence is a huge problem: One study pinpoints the costs of medication adherence-related, needless hospitalizations at costing $100 billion each year in the U.S.
  • Leslie Saxon, chief of cardiology at the University of Southern California, thinks patients will clamor for more data about their own health.
  • Governments, including the U.S., are beginning require drugmakers to first prove the efficacy of expensive new pills in practice as well as in theory, which might drive more of them to use technology like Proteus.

The Economist report also includes a metric from research from Kalorama, which predicts that sales of wireless health services will leap from $4.3 billion last year to $9.6 billion by 2012.

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by: www.economist.com , mobilhealthnews.com .

    Thursday 21 April 2011

    Pfizer wins the compliance enhancing packaging design's award in 2011

    Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH is awarded the HCPC Alliance Columbus trophy for compliance enhancing packaging design 2011.
     
    At Fleming Europe's Pharma packaging & labelling compliance conference 2011, which took place in Barcelona on March 23rd and 24th, the HCPC Alliance¹ presented for the first time the Columbus Award for compliance enhancing packaging design. Innovative packaging solutions with elements to help patients to take their medications as prescribed were presented and the Columbus Award was given to the solution that, according to the jury, offered the most comprehensive support.
     


    The Champix/Chantix wallet packaging portfolio, from Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH is an answer to the question how to enhance compliance for products marketed on a global scale by customized packaging solutions. It provides a multi-dimensional solution for the essential product medication scheme, regional packaging requirements but also important prescription and reimbursement regulations.



    Compliance delivered through an innovative packaging platform is a critical success factor due to the treatment regime:
    • Patients needs to set a date to stop smoking
    • Begin of treatment one week before that date
    • Titration dose (day 1-3 0,5 mg once a day, day 4-7 0,5 mg twice a day, continuing weeks 1 mg twice daily for a total of 12 weeks).



    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by http://www.hcpc-europe.net/.

    Sunday 10 April 2011

    Factors associated with adherence in patients with COPD

    I'm pleased to inform you that my article "Factors Associated with Medication Adherence in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease" has been e-published by Respiration.

    Factors Associated with Medication Adherence in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

    University Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy Administration, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.

    Abstract

    Background: Predictors of medication adherence are not well known in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is therefore necessary to identify factors associated with adherence to improve the effectiveness of COPD management within real-world situations. Objectives: The goals of this study were to estimate adherence to respiratory medication and to identify factors related to adherence in COPD patients. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of COPD outpatients. The following information was obtained: adherence to respiratory therapy (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale), age, gender, smoking status, COPD severity [Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage], lung function [post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1))], treatment regimen for COPD, COPD medication costs per month paid by the patient and health-related quality of life (EuroQol 5-dimension questionnaire). A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent predictors of adherence. Results: Of the 170 participants (mean age 63.8 years, 41.8% male), 58.2% reported optimal adherence. Adherence to respiratory therapy was associated with age, current smoking status, number of respiratory drugs, number of daily respiratory drug doses and quality of life (p < 0.005). Adherence to respiratory therapy was not related to gender, GOLD stage, FEV(1) or COPD medication costs. Conclusions: Adherence to COPD medication regimens is poor. Less frequent dosing regimens could be an effective method to enhance adherence to respiratory therapy. Quality-of-life monitoring within clinical practice settings could facilitate improved medication adherence.
    Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.
    PMID: 21454953 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]