A Marriage of Large and Small: R & D for Healthcare Products
The most critical factor for success in the pharmaceutical industry is the discovery of novel drugs that treat major illnesses for which there had been, up to then, only inadequate kinds of treatment. Until a decade or so ago, most drugs were discovered through the in-house research of major pharmaceutical companies. But now these major companies are increasingly relying on small firms and academia for drug discovery, while concentrating on their core competences of drug development and marketing. A similar pattern is emerging in other parts of the healthcare industry. This article discusses the synergy between small and large firms in healthcare and suggests that this pattern may become a general one for all innovative industries.
Outsourcing in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process: an examination of the CRO experience
Abstract The pharmaceutical industry is passing through a very challenging period in its evolution with the traditional approaches to drug development constantly expanding. Successful pharmaceutical organisations have recognised the need to leverage resources, and as a result, they have come to rely on the wealth of expertise provided by specialist external sources. One such source is the newly emergent sector comprising Clinical Research Organisations, otherwise known as CROs. This transition to a more integrated approach to conducting pharmaceutical Research and Development (R&D) has however led to a change in practice within the traditional working environment of the pharmaceutical sector. Although pharmaceutical manufacturers have identified a number of advantages and disadvantages as a result of working with these external agents, the potential for enhancing the partnership process still exists. Given the level of co-dependency amongst operators in the industry, it is therefore necessary that pharmaceutical firms reach a much deeper understanding of the intricacies of the buyer–supplier relationship in order to facilitate the drug development process.
Analysis of Macro and Micronutrients in Soils from Palestine Using Ion Exchange Membrane Technology
Ion Exchange membrane technology (IEM) is a method that allowed a single extraction process and a single subsequent measurement of different elements that are available in soil. The values of the available forms of the different macro- and micronutrients obtained by IEM extraction were compared with the values of the soluble form obtained by conventional extraction methods. In surface soil sample, the concentrations of available potassium, nitrate, phosphate, iron and boron were 37.7 mg kg–1, 17.5 mg kg–1, 3.6 mg kg–1, 171.0 μg kg–1, and 4.2 μg kg–1 respectively were greater than that of soluble forms of the same elements which were 7.0 mg kg–1, 9.2 mg kg–1, 0.4 mg kg–1, 109.0 μg kg–1, and 1.9 μg kg–1 respectively.