Cell & Gene Therapy The completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) in April 2003 with the publication of the first human genome sequence is probably one of the most significant landmarks in humanity’s quest for knowledge, costing USD three billion across 13 years. But even after nearly two decades, we have barely scratched…

Boehringer Ingelheim With its brand new hub in Shanghai dedicated to research, business development and venture funding, German pharma giant Boehringer Ingelheim is taking a step further toward accessing innovation from the Chinese biotech industry.   Boehringer Ingelheim has its sights set on establishing a deeper rapport with the Chinese biotech sector.…

Opinion In the wake of a spate of television advertisements for dietary supplements claiming to offer solutions to the COVID-19 crisis, regular PharmaBoardroom contributor Yacine Sellam argues for the need for a more robust regulatory framework in Algeria and even the creation of a unified FDA-style regulator to counter this threat…

Novartis In late 2019 Novartis hit the headlines in Belgium after it refused to grant access to its one-off gene therapy Zolgensma® for the ultra-rare muscle-wasting disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to Pia Boehnke, a Belgian child.   With Zolgensma® at that point having not yet been authorised by the European…

Algeria Below we present recent news from Algeria’s pharmaceutical industry, including the creation of a dedicated Ministry to boost the sector, changes to the advertising rules for dietary supplements, and local medical device manufacturers’ efforts in the fight against COVID-19.   Government: Broad prerogatives for the newly created Ministry of Pharmaceutical…

Opinion Pharmaceutical innovation is racing ahead of the US health system’s ability to adjust payment models, but innovative concepts are finally emerging. We will have to move beyond siloed thinking to establish them for the sake of getting patients sustainable access to a new wave of transformative cures, argues Ulrich Neumann.…

UK Jameel Zayed of Leyton, the UK’s leading innovation funding consultancy, highlights the British pharmaceutical industry’s rapid response to COVID-19 and the three ways in which the sector is driving national innovation forwards.   With the upheaval of recent months, businesses up and down the UK have been forced to adapt…

Talent A new report by Novartis looks at how leading talent in the technology industry is increasingly looking to bring their skillsets into the healthcare and life sciences industries against the backdrop of the fight against COVID-19.   Top tech talent sees a myriad of opportunities to leverage its knowledge in…

Roundup A roundup of the latest from Chinese pharma and biotech, including Boehringer Ingelheim’s new Shanghai R&D hub, new HKEX IPO successes for Chinese firms, further progress for Clover’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, and more.   Boehringer creates Shanghai hub to connect with Chinese R&D groups https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/boehringer-creates-shanghai-hub-to-connect-chinese-r-d-groups With China’s domestic biotech scene…

AMR June 9th 2020 saw the launch of a new action fund on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with 23 leading biopharmaceutical companies committing to almost USD one billion in investment to save collapsing antibiotic pipelines. The partnership aims to bring between two and four new antibiotics to patients by 2030 and facilitate…

GSK GSK, the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines, has pursued a different strategy to that of its contemporaries in the effort to develop a safe, effective, and mass-producible COVID-19 vaccine. PharmaBoardroom recently spoke to Emmanuel Hanon, GSK’s senior VP for vaccines R&D, to get his take on the company’s unique role…

Brazil In the race to develop the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine, Brazil – now one of the world’s worst-affected countries – is becoming an attractive clinical trial destination for biopharma companies that heading into phase III trials. Chinese firm Sinovac recently received regulatory approval to test its vaccine candidate in Brazil…