Pfizer has partnered with King’s College London to create an open innovation laboratory for pain research.

As part of the partnership, a small team of Pfizer scientists will be based at the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases at King’s Guys Campus to conduct research in pain biology.

The Pfizer scientists will be part of a larger team at the College including academics such as Professors Steve McMahon and Stuart Bevan, who hope to develop a greater understanding of pain mechanisms and pathways.

The aim is that the combined research efforts will deliver new ideas and innovations for healthcare and patient welfare.

Gillian Burgess, Pain Research Chief Scientific Officer, Pfizer, said: “This partnership will allow our scientists to work in an academic setting and combine resources with King’s scientists to advance knowledge in this important area. We hope that this will lead to greater innovation and in turn bring benefits for patients living with pain.”‪‪

The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases is a state-of-the-art facility that brings together over 25 research groups focusing on understanding the central and peripheral nervous system.

“The basic academic work that we will be doing with Pfizer in the area of pain and receptor trafficking is closely aligned with the research interests of the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases,” said Professor Pat Doherty, Director of the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases.

“The Pfizer colleagues will have joint academic appointments within King’s College London, and will work closely together with our established teams in a truly collaborative effort aimed at understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying chronic and neuropathic pain, conditions that affect many people.”

King’s Business is a subsidiary of the College, responsible for developing new opportunities for engagement with business and the public sector.

A new team at the University of Warwick has been awarded £2.6 million to conduct Technology Assessment Reviews (TARs) on new treatments.

Warwick Evidence will be dedicated to assessing the value for money of new medical treatments and technologies on NICE’s behalf. Using this information, NICE will make decisions on whether to recommend technologies, including drugs, devices and diagnostics, for use nationally across the NHS.

The Warwick Evidence team, led by Dr Aileen Clarke and Dr Paul Sutcliffe from Warwick Medical School, is one of three new TAR teams across the country.

The multidisciplinary team will work collaboratively across several departments at the University of Warwick and will be supported by a senior team of clinical and methodological expert advisors at both local and national level.

Acting Dean of Warwick Medical School, Professor Martin Underwood, said: “We are absolutely delighted about Warwick Evidence. Assessing new technologies to make sure they provide value for money is a key function for NICE and for the NHS. The role that Warwick Evidence will play will be crucial in this.”

The Government has pledged £8 million to help local NHS organisations fund campaigns that improve early diagnosis of cancer.

The investment follows the Prime Minister’s pledge to ensure that all patients with cancer symptoms receive their results from diagnostic tests within one week.

PCTs are being invited to bid for up to £100,000 to run campaigns targeted at one or more of the three biggest killers; breast, colorectal and lung cancer. The impact of each campaign will be measured so that the most effective can be repeated across the country.

PCTs will be able to use the money for a range of initiatives including advertising campaigns, outreach work and making more public information available.

National Cancer Director Mike Richards said: “This money will enable the NHS locally to raise awareness of the symptoms of the biggest cancer killers and to encourage patients to visit their GP earlier. Local campaigns and investment in new diagnostic services will also encourage GPs to ‘play it safe’ and refer patients for tests if they have any doubt.”

The Department of Health will work in partnership with the National Cancer Action Team and Cancer Research UK to support PCTs in developing, running and evaluating their campaign.

Cancer Research UK Chief Executive Harpal Kumar commented: “All too often cancer is found at a late stage when it’s harder to treat. For example, 90% of bowel cancers can be cured if treated early but only 13% are detected at the earliest stage. The projects that are funded at PCT level will have the potential to make a big impact on the number of people dying from the disease – helping to boost cancer survival to levels comparable with the best in Europe.”

PCTs will be given examples of successful campaigns. These will include the Doncaster Cough Campaign which promoted awareness that a persistent cough could mean lung cancer, through the use of a ‘coughing’ bus shelter and other innovative ideas.

Pharmaceutical companies will struggle to profit from the cardiovascular disease (CVD) market over the next decade despite growing drug usage, says Datamonitor.

New research by the independent business analyst predicts that the CVD pharma market will grow from $99bn in 2008 to $107bn in 2018, though AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk are the only companies expected to generate positive sales growth over the period.

In its Cardiovascular and Metabolic Market Overview, Datamonitor expects the strong growth in CVD drug usage to be driven by the increase in patient populations, early diagnosis and early initiation of drug therapy as healthcare providers target complications associated with obesity.

Dr Anthony Nealon, report author and Senior Healthcare Analyst at Datamonitor, said: “The CVD market is one of the most mature pharma markets and the traditional drivers – hypertension and dyslipidemia – will be heavily impacted by patent expiries and generic competition.”

Generic competition is expected to impact Pfizer’s Lipitor and BMS/sanofi-aventis’ Plavix, but also other blockbuster drugs in the CVD market, such as Merck’s Cozaar, Novartis’ Diovan and Takeda’s Actos.

Datamonitor argues that weak development pipelines in hypertension and dyslipidaemia will not be able to replace revenues lost to generic competition. “This is due to current marketed drugs offering a wide range of therapy options for treatment,” said Dr Nealon. “Plus, there are no remaining significant clinical unmet needs to spur on development candidates.”

AstraZeneca is forecast to generate strong growth from its dyslipidaemia drug Crestor (rosuvastatin), as well as from late-stage pipeline drugs Brilinta and Onglyza. Novo Nordisk is the only other CVD company forecast to generate positive sales growth during this period, due to its market-leading position in insulin therapy.

However, Datamonitor adds, this decline will be offset by growth in diabetes and thrombosis as new drugs able to meet significant unmet clinical needs for patients reach the market. “This market growth will see diabetes become the largest therapy market in the seven major markets with sales of $37bn in 2018,” said Dr Nealon.

EUSA Pharma has completed the build of its executive management team and commercial infrastructure with the appointment of Iain McGill to the role of President, Europe and International.

EUSA, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on oncology, pain control and critical care, is now present in over 80 countries, with teams covering the US and over 20 European territories including the major EU markets.

Mr McGill joins EUSA from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where he held the position of Vice President and Global Manager for the company’s transplantation business. Previously, he was the Head of Novartis’ Transplantation, Immunology and Infectious Diseases Business Unit in Canada, and was a Global Brand Director at Novartis’ headquarters in Switzerland.

Bryan Morton, EUSA Pharma’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Since founding EUSA four years ago, we have made tremendous progress, raising over $300 million in investment funding, establishing a portfolio of eight marketed and four pipeline products, and building a strong commercialisation platform on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Iain’s leadership skills, and track record of growing specialist pharmaceutical businesses, will prove invaluable as we complete EUSA’s transition from a development-stage company to a world leader in its field.”

Commenting on his appointment, Iain McGill added: “Having seen the team at EUSA build a great company in a very short period of time, I am delighted to join them as we drive the business to the next level. With an infrastructure now in place that can rival even our biggest competitors, EUSA is well positioned to continue its rapid development.

“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to that progress, as we focus on aggressive organic growth and further product in-licensing and acquisition.”

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Allergan have signed a global agreement for a neuropathic pain treatment candidate currently under Phase II development by Allergan.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb will gain exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise the molecule and backup compounds.

The deal includes all potential indications, although Allergan will retain certain rights in ophthalmology indications for products formulated for local delivery to the eye.

“There is significant unmet medical need for a more efficacious and tolerable therapy for neuropathic pain,” said Francis Cuss, Senior Vice President, Discovery and Exploratory Clinical Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to develop this potential first-in-class compound that could help patients prevail over chronic pain and strengthen our neuroscience pipeline.”

Bristol-Myers Squibb will pay Allergan an up-front payment of $40 million, up to a further $373 million in potential milestone payments and royalties on worldwide sales.

“We are fortunate to have a deep R&D pipeline, and believe that by partnering programs that extend into primary care, we can maximise the value of our science,” said Scott Whitcup, Executive Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Scientific Officer, Allergan. “We are excited to have a partner interested in our technology and committed to developing AGN-209323 for neuropathic pain.”

The collaboration agreement is subject to antitrust clearance by the United States Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.

Napp Pharmaceuticals has achieved fifth position in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Mid-sized Companies to Work For list and remains the highest ranked pharmaceutical company in the UK.

Napp is also one of only 50 companies in the UK to be awarded 3 stars by Best Companies through their accreditation scheme.

Both the Sunday Times Top 100 and the Best Companies accreditation scheme recognise excellence in employee engagement, and both are derived from the results of the Best Companies survey.

This is the fourth year that Napp has entered the awards and fifth is the company’s highest ranking, having appeared ninth, twelfth and eleventh respectively over the previous three years.

Antony Mattessich, MD, said: “An engaged and motivated workforce that is willing to give their very best for their company is a good thing for any organisation, but is particularly advantageous for a pharmaceutical company because the marketplace is becoming increasingly complex and competitive. We believe that our strong commitment to fully engaging employees is key to our ongoing prosperity in such an environment.”

Napp scored highly in all areas assessed by the survey. Of the employees surveyed, 90% felt that they could make a valuable contribution to the success of the organisation, 89% said that they felt the organisation was run on strong values and principles and 89% said that they were excited about where the organisation was going.

Mattessich added: “Napp is an exciting place to be, full of energised, successful people who take personal responsibility for our success. Our open culture truly gives them the freedom to generate ideas and challenge existing strategies and tactics to give the best possible outcomes for us, the NHS and patients.”

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) in the UK has recommended the use of Intercell’s Ixiaro to protect people at high risk of contracting Japanese Encephalitis.

Ixiaro is recommended for individuals aged 18 years and older that are at high risk of exposure during travel or in the course of their occupation.

The decision follows the expanded recommendations of the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in 2009.

Gerd Zettlmeissl, Chief Executive Officer of Intercell, said: “We are pleased that our joint medical management efforts with our partner Novartis are materialising now also in Europe with the first country specific recommendations. Especially for novel travel vaccines recommendations are key to foster disease and product awareness and thus increasing vaccination rates and product uptake.”

Intercell AG is an biotechnology company that develops novel vaccines for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases with substantial unmet medical needs. Its novel Japanese Encephalitis vaccine, Ixiaro, is the company’s first product on the market.

Japanese Encephalitis is a mosquito-borne infection that causes 10,000 to 15,000 deaths each year and is the leading cause of viral neurological disease and disability in Asia.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that Lamberto Andreotti will take over as the company’s Chief Executive Officer when current Chairman and CEO James M. Cornelius retires.

Andreotti, who is currently President and Chief Operating Officer, has served with Bristol-Myers Squibb for 12 years in senior leadership roles, both internationally and in the US. Prior to joining Bristol-Myers Squibb, he held senior roles at KABI Pharmacia and then at Pharmacia & Upjohn.

Andreotti said: “Jim successfully led our transformation into a next-generation BioPharma leader with his strategic leadership and consistent focus on delivering our commitments.

“While challenges lie ahead, we are confident we can overcome them as we continue to successfully execute and deliver operationally, financially and strategically to maximise our future opportunities. As we succeed, the ultimate beneficiaries are patients who we help prevail against serious diseases.”

Cornelius was elected chairman of the Board of Directors in February of 2008 and was named interim CEO in September 2006, before taking on the role full-time in April 2007. During his time as CEO, Cornelius oversaw the company’s transformation to a leading next-generation biopharmaceutical company with a robust pipeline of innovative medicines for serious diseases. He will remain as chairman at the request of the Board.

Cornelius commented: “I have a high level of confidence in Lamberto and that is shared by everyone who has seen him consistently and successfully drive performance. Lamberto’s deep knowledge and insight of the BioPharma strategy make him the ideal leader as we transform into an industry benchmark.”

This week, NICE has published three recommendations that could “drastically limit” the treatment options available to patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

NICE’s latest ruling against funding tocilizumab (RoActemra) comes only a day after a negative decision on abatacept (Orencia) as a second-line treatment and restrictions were placed on the use of three other anti-TNF drug therapies (adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab).

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) has condemned these decisions, which it says “drastically” limit treatment options for people with severe RA.

Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive of NRAS, said: “If NICE’s recommendations become final guidance, patients with severe RA who have failed on previous anti-TNFs will only have access to rituximab in the NHS and only very restricted access to a second anti-TNF.

“NICE seem not to understand that RA is not a one size fits all disease. With such limited treatment options, some patients will be left with the unacceptable choices of being put back onto treatments they have already failed on, or taking large doses of steroids which have extremely unacceptable side effects such as osteoporosis when given over the long term.”

RA is a lifelong, progressive disease characterised by inflammation and swelling of joints, leading to deformity, functional impairment, pain, fatigue and ultimately disability. Around 30% of RA patients fail to respond adequately or will be intolerant to a first anti-TNF therapy and the current only alternative, rituximab, does not achieve an effective response in up to 50% of patients.

If NICE’s latest guidance on abatacept and anti-TNF therapies is adopted, rituximab will be the only option open to patients following unsuccessful therapy with DMARDs or an anti-TNF.

Due to a successful appeal by the NRAS against an earlier decision, this is the second time that NICE has reviewed the effectiveness of switching between anti-TNF therapies, a tactic that many patients have found effective.

The ruling is that adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab should only be used following the failure of a previous TNF inhibitor in the context of research. NICE has maintained that there is insufficient evidence of the benefit or cost-effectiveness of switching patients to a second anti-TNF.

Dr Chris Deighton, Consultant Rheumatologist at Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, said: “Patients who fail on their first anti-TNF already have very bad rheumatoid arthritis and deserve more choice than just rituximab. We will be doing our best to ensure that the final appraisal offers more treatment options for patients.”

Ailsa Bosworth concluded: “We simply cannot accept that individuals should be denied the chance of at least regaining some quality of life and condemning them to a life of pain and disability, which could be as or even more expensive to the NHS as well as society as a whole if people, as a consequence of not being able to access clinically effective therapies, lose their jobs.”