Tough choices about expensive drugs
By Mary Gabb (mary.gabb@rxcomms.com) The UK ‘s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recently ruled that four drugs used to treat advanced kidney cancer are not effective…
Details
“Moving and Improving Concepts and Evidence for Healthcare Decisions” – the latest ISPOR congress
By Ruth Whittington (ruth.whittington@rxcomms.com) Rx Communications has just returned triumphant from the 11th annual European Congress of ISPOR. ISPOR is a great place to meet old friends, find new ones,…
Details
Access to medicines: Ranking the social responsibility of pharmaceutical companies
By Julie Stauffer (julie.stauffer@rxcomms.com) Pharmaceutical companies produce hundreds of life-saving drugs every year. Yet each year, millions of people in developing countries die from preventable and treatable illnesses – diseases…
Details
American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Annual Conference 2008
By Robert Hand (robert.hand@rxcomms.com) Under the title “Setting the Pace,” the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) held its 68th Annual Conference on October 23–25 in horse country, Louisville , Kentucky…
Details
Drug makers gift disclosures: the ethics issue
By David Woods (david.woods@rxcomms.com) Drug company Eli Lilly has said that it will start disclosing the amounts of money over $500 that it pays to physicians – and other firms…
Details
Direct-to-Consumer Advertising – in Europe?
By Mary Gabb (mary.gabb@rxcomms.com ) Since 1996, DTCA has existed only in the USA and New Zealand , but recent declarations from the European Commission (EC) suggest that the rules…
Details
How sick are you? It depends on what the definition of ‘sick’ is…
By Mary Gabb (mary.gabb@rxcomms.com ) The publication several years ago of Selling Sickness: How the World’s Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies are Turning Us All into Patients by Ray Moynihan and Alan…
Details
Development Safety Update Reports (DSURs): simplifying periodic safety reporting
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August proposed a new guideline asking the sponsors of clinical trials to submit annual development safety update reports (DSURs). The guideline, titled “E2F Development Safety Update Report,” is in draft form and describes the format, content, and timing of a DSUR.
Details
Conquering chaos: six steps to an organised office
By Julie Stauffer (julie.stauffer@rxcomms.com) How quickly can you lay your hands on tomorrow’s meeting agenda, the latest batch of clinical data, or the draft report you’ve been asked to review?…
Details
Preventing medication errors
By David Woods (david.woods@rxcomms.com) “Since 2000, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 95,000 reports of medication errors. These reports are voluntary, so the number of…
Details