Game-Changing Medicines Planned by the Pharmaceutical Industry for 2015
by Sangeeta Haindl
2015 is expected to be an exciting year for medicine as the pharmaceutical industry sees years of research coming to fruition. It could just be ‘the year of the product.’ Over the last year or two, there have been major breakthroughs in oncology, and, looking ahead, the potential of combination treatments may be even more exciting. Thanks to advances in the understanding of disease mechanisms, modelling, data analytics, genetics, and translational medicine, patients can expect improved productivity as science begins to bear fruit in the form of new treatments.
Tackling the Ebola outbreak remains a top priority for this sector. The World Bank has also agreed to indemnify Johnson & Johnson's $200 million commitment to an Ebola vaccine. This is a significant precedent for future pharma business models, as it means these types of companies will be assured of not losing money. Ebola has brought attention to the fact that there is a lack of health care infrastructure in Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa; this all could prompt this year to be more focused on vaccines. Some of the headline launches expected are Sanofi's tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV) and GlaxoSmithKlein's RTS,S the world's first vaccine against malaria. These will be game-changing medicines since both have the potential to reduce the risk of suffering or death for millions of people in endemic markets such as Brazil and India, including other developing countries.
To continue reading, click here
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Sangeeta Haindl writes on social innovation, social enterprise, and social entrepreneurs. She is the owner of Serendipity PR, in London, U.K., where she works with high-profile brands and organizations in the public, non-profit, and corporate sectors, winning awards for her work from the communications industry. She describes herself as a Spiritual Entrepreneur, Conscious Explorer, and Futurist. She enjoys helping others, paying it forward, and being a mum.
