Generic or innovator, manufacturing still make-or-break

The pharmaceutical industry puts a heavy premium on innovation - the ability to come up with new drugs. Indeed this separates the boys from the men. Generic pharmaceuticals however are seen as similar to any other commodity manufacturing sector. However, in the last two years  one generic and one innovator have been both done in …

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Sanofi’s play for Genzyme – stray thoughts

The last couple of days has seen some speculation about sanofi aventis' play for Genzyme.  Big Pharma's acquisitiveness for biotech's not new - this is just the latest example. In the last decade (maybe a little more), biotech seems to have been having better luck than Big Pharma putting new drugs into the pipeline especially …

GSK’s Witty does some tough talk on India M&A

My colleague Vikas Dandekar, Pharmasianews bureau chief in India, recently tweeted the following comments from GSK CEO Andrew Witty (at an investor call).  "I'm not paying 37 times earnings for an Indian company, I am just not." "We are going to walk away from opportunities that go out of our price range, and where we …

In pharma, India ahead of China – but for how long?

One repeatedly hears about the one sector where India is still years ahead of China- pharmaceuticals. Well that's true - for now. But what's worrying is that in many people's opinion the country's lead is more a result of China's weaknesses than it is of India's strengths. For instance, the Chinese don't understand US and European regulatory processes as well …

No Indian data on vaccines market?

At a recent press conference to announce the launch of its vaccine Prevenar 13, Pfizer MD Kewal Handa declined to share revenue numbers of the vaccine's predecessor Prevenar in India. That's not surprising - companies rarely reveal internal numbers for specific products. But what was surprising is that it did not provide ORG-IMS  numbers either. The …

India to screen 7 crore for diabetes and hypertension

The Public Information Bureau recently issued a release recording Cabinet approval for a national programme to prevent and control cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular risk, and stroke.  "The programme will be implemented in 20,000 Sub-Centres and 700 Community Health Centres (CHCs) in 100 Districts across 15 States/Union Territories by promoting healthy lifestyle through massive health education and …

India’s looming healthcare tab from lifestyle diseases

A survey by drug maker sanofi-aventis on diabetes and hypertension prevalance in outpatient settings in ten different states in India revealed some preliminary results based on findings from two states - Delhi and Maharashtra. The study "highlights a high percentage of diabetes and hypertension patients who are suffering from associated co-morbidities such as kidney disease, …

Pfizer’s Nigerian nightmare. Or is it the other way around?

Children who participated in an allegedly botched Pfizer drug trial in Nigeria in 1996 may still have their day in an American court. The US Supreme Court has refused to block a suit brought against Pfizer by their families. The plaintiffs contend that Pfizer tested its experimental antibiotic Trovan during a meningitis epidemic in Nigeria without following due process …