Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi, Pfizer, and Eli Lilly
– Roche has produced an innovative set of YouTube videos to explain scientific terminology in a fun, visual way. Roche is Drawn to Science for YouTube Campaign from PMLiVE introduces the ‘The Drawn to Science’ videos from Roche’s Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) unit, which covers four disease therapy areas: oncology, neurosciences, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, and infectious diseases
– In another indication of the growing interest by pharma companies in emerging information technologies, Boehringer Ingelheim has become a strategic partner of the digital health startup accelerator Rock Health. FierceBiotechIT covers the announcement in Pharma Giant Boehringer Ingelheim Backs Startup Program Rock Health, as the Ingelheim, Germany-based drugmaker follows the biotech giant Genentech, a unit of Roche, as a corporate supporter of Rock Health
– Drugmakers are competing fiercely in the type 2 diabetes market as the number of people with the disease continues to grow rapidly. With an estimated 371 million people worldwide living with diabetes, Reuters reports Sanofi Steps Up Diabetes Drive as Rivals Raise the Stakes. As part of its plan to broaden its diabetes portfolio beyond drugs and injection pens, Sanofi has also rolled out new devices, like a blood glucose meter plug-in for Apple’s iPhone in the United States, which allows diabetics to check their levels on a smartphone. It is currently testing more advanced versions that would e-mail readings to the doctor
– Non-communicable diseases are a growing threat and the cause of 60% of all deaths in the world, with 80% of these in people from low- and middle-income countries. Pfizer Inc. and HelpAge International in Tanzania have launched a program which will prevent and control non-communicable diseases (for example diabetes and hypertension) among older people in Tanzania. Preventing and Controlling Non-Communicable Diseases Among Older People in Tanzania announces the project as an opportunity for HelpAge and Pfizer Inc. to increase the global profile of this issue
– Eli Lilly has suffered another setback trying to find a useful drug to combat Alzheimer’s. Lilly Scraps An Alzheimer’s Drug; What Does It Mean For Merck? from Forbes outlines Lilly’s recent disappointments in this area and Merck’s recently started Phase II/III study with patients who suffer from mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s. Beyond putting an end to what had been a horse race between the two drugmakers, there is now going to be concern about a great unknown – was the safety issue confined to the Lilly compound or might this be a sign that such problems exist with all BACE inhibitors?
