Bio/Pharma Business

Beyond the inevitable debate over profit margins, the increasing range and effectiveness of modern medicine leave us with one core issue: the high price of success.

Big Pharma is ramping up capital spending in parenteral manufacturing at the same time that contract manufacturers are completing their own major investment programs.

Early development services continue to be a sweet spot for contract R&D services. The big question is how soon the impact of early-development candidates will be felt in late development and commercialization.

The use of stable isotopic analyses to characterize drug products before they leave the manufacturer is explored as a means to identify counterfeit products.

The contract services industry is fertile ground for the investment banking community this summer.

Data from the 2004 Outsourcing Survey indicate that pharmaceutical companies are spending more on outsourced drug development, but with fewer suppliers.

Despite investors' strong interest in the chemical industry overall, pharmaceutical chemical businesses have not experienced much attention from investors thus far.

It's not clear whether contract service providers can deliver the performance improvements and costs savings that drug companies expect from large, long-term, semi-exclusive contracts.

Sponsors who have been lax in performing financial due diligence on their contractors have been given a wake-up call by the recent developments at aaiPharma.

Despite global economic problems during the last 2 years and continued industry-wide lay-offs in the manufacturing sector, the pharmaceutical industry workforce continues at a slow and steady pace. Employees, however, seem ever more wary of their job security.

Despite continued industry-wide layoffs in manufacturing jobs during the past year, the pharmaceutical industry workforce continues a slow and steady pace.

Outsourcing is part of the public debate as politicians seek to explain the lag in job growth despite a recovering economy, and as the Bush administration presses its initiative to "competitively source" more agency activities.

After a year that has endured the devastating effects of global economic recessions, corporate bankruptcies, lay-offs and reorganizations, the need for a stable work environment has been steadily moving toward the top of every employee's list of priorities. Industry analysts have been carefully watching for signs of how these factors, and the responses to them from government and regulatory agencies, may ultimately affect the corporate job environment as a whole. The following results of the fifth annual international employment survey show that while the pharmaceutical industry remains strong, its employees are only cautiously optimistic.

After a year that has endured the devastating effects of global economic recessions, corporate bankruptcies, lay-offs and reorganizations, the need for a stable work environment has been steadily moving toward the top of every employee's list of priorities. Industry analysts have been carefully watching for signs of how these factors, and the responses to them from government and regulatory agencies, may ultimately affect the corporate job environment as a whole. The following results of the fifth annual international employment survey show that while the pharmaceutical industry remains strong, its employees are only cautiously optimistic.

December's Contract Services articles include "Using Virtual Private Networks to Gain Competitive Advantage," by Mark Tuomenoska and "Outsourcing Outlook," by Jim Miller.

More than 1600 industry employees report about the status of their current work environment, including salary, job environment, and outlook for next year.

November's Contract Services articles include "Outsourcing Xbox Manufacturing," by Heather Hayes, "Outsourcing Outlook," by Jim Miller, and "Quality in Pharmacovigilance," by Brian Edwards and Jeffrey Priem.

The European Union is attempting to reform its current business environment in hopes of restoring its role in the lobal R&D sector.

The author discusses the potential effect on CROs of pending major-pharma mergers and consolidations.

When choosing a CRO, take the time to conduct an in-depth evaluation of each department, paying special attention to the quality and training of its personnel.

The author examines the concept of evaluating CRO operating performance in today's pharmaceutical industry.

The results of this 2002 survey of contract services decision makers reviews and forecasts the state of the outsourcing industry.

Carefully crafted outsourcing arrangements allow companies to become powerful partners in the quest for market share.

The author discusses the Japanese cabinet's approval of a measure that lifts manufacturing restrictions on domestic pharmaceutical companies.

Brand and product security technologies offer pharmaceutical manufacturers anticounterfeiting solutions.

The author discusses the upcoming human research congressional debate and CROs' preparations to respond.

The author discusses the current soft demand and excess capacity in the contract-manufacturing market of small molecule actives and intermediates.

The author discusses three current examples of new ideas in formulating outsourcing arrangments.

The author discusses current economic times and conditions for large pharmaceutical companies.

The author looks ahead to what 2002 may have in store for the contract services industry.