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For the past century antibiotics, such as penicillin, have served as a pillar of the healthcare system. However, the more they have been used to treat illness and infection, the more infectious diseases have adapted to resist antibiotics – creating a phenomenon that the World Health Organization among the top ten global public health threats facing humanity.
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So, what can be done to prepare us for the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance? In this issue of Pharma Technology Focus we get to grips with some of the most significant research projects that are trialling potential alternatives to traditional antibiotics.
Plus, we highlight the best and brightest players in regenerative medicine – from next-generation cell therapies and stem cell treatments to bioengineered human tissues – to find out if these innovative treatments are ready to enter the pharma mainstream.
Elsewhere, we explore the ethical challenges surrounding human challenge studies in the UK and ask whether the success of such studies during the Covid-19 pandemic could support further use of this novel trial approach in the future, and examine the benefits and challenges of digitalising drug dispensing.
All this and more in this latest issue of Pharma Technology Magazine.
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By GlobalData
In this issue
Antibiotic adjacent: the alternatives tackling AMR
Antimicrobial resistance has long been hailed as the greatest threat that the medical industry will face over the coming years. To combat this, researchers are testing potential alternatives to traditional antibiotics, including ‘biological antibiotics’ involving human monoclonal antibodies. Abi Millar explores innovative research projects that are searching for viable alternatives to antibiotics.
Read the article here.
Regenerative medicine: ready for the big leagues?
From next-generation cell therapies and stem cell treatments to bioengineered human tissues, the clinical potential of regenerative medicine research is clear. What is at the cutting-edge of regenerative medicine in 2021, and are these complex products ready to break into the big leagues? Abi Millar highlights the best and brightest players in regenerative medicine.
Read the article here.
Human challenge trials: pandemic exit strategy or ethical nightmare?
The UK is leading the way with implementing human challenge trials as a way to tackle the pandemic. Natalie Healey explores this unique study design, including the ethical and safety considerations and what it could teach us about the virus that causes Covid-19.
Read the article here.
Drug dispensing goes digital
Usually a highly manual endeavour, pharmacists are now looking to find ways to drive efficiencies in medication management and drug dispensing by leveraging robotic tools. Chloe Kent explores how digitalising drug dispensing in this way can reduce errors, improve patient safety and allow medical staff to spend more time on patient care with Omnicell sales director Cyrus Hodivala.
Read the article here.
Could this Novartis initiative finally cure sickle cell disease?
Novartis and the Gates Foundation have entered a collaboration to try and develop a one-time gene therapy to cure sickle cell disease. Natalie Healey speaks to Novartis about the legacy of sickle cell and the development of this potentially ground-breaking treatment.
Read the article here.
Centessa Pharmaceuticals: forging a new path for pharma R&D
Created from a merger of ten start-ups backed by UK life sciences investment firm Medicxi, Centessa Pharmaceuticals is trying out a different approach to achieving the same goal of big biotechs. The company aims to build the infrastructure of a larger drug-maker around each of its component companies, which will be run as largely autonomous subsidiaries. Chloe Kent takes a closer look into the firm’s unorthodox approach to R&D and rounds up some of its star acquisitions.
Read the article here.
Next issue preview
In the next issue of Pharma Technology Focus, we find out about an orally administered Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oramed Pharmaceuticals and Premas Biotech, and ask how such a development could impact future vaccine rollout plans. Plus, we take a look at rare disease drug access programmes across the pharma industry to uncover the logistical challenges of getting medications to resource-limited countries.
Elsewhere, we examine the benefits and challenges involved in putting patients closer to the heart of clinical research, and following the US Food and Drug Administration’s decision to reopen a study to determine how drug names influence consumers and healthcare providers, we explore the process of designing and regulating new drug names.
Also, we dig into the importance of academic-industry collaboration to find out how licensing and partnerships be improved, and finally, we round up the key lessons that the pharma supply chain can learn from the Covid-19 pandemic.
