The Buzz about BioCrowd

Posted on April 4, 2012June 10, 2013 by Valentina Rosa

BioCrowd: the latest social networking site for bioscience professionals.

LinkedIn is a great way for professionals to network, especially with the “groups” feature of customizing specific interest groups for various industries. However, what if a LinkedIn type of social network existed only for your industry to increase productivity and networking in the right field? Welcome to BioCrowd; a new invitation-only networking site exclusively designed for professionals in the biology sciences world. Founders Clifford Mintz and Vincent Racaniello created BioCrowd to help bio professionals establish relationships in the industry, post jobs, and ultimately create an outlet to shape new ideas.

What do you think about the concept of BioCrowd? Bio specialists, will you be checking BioCrowd out? Let us know and comment below or tweet to us @TRA360!

RegLink and RAPS Partner to Create Global Drug and Device News

Posted on March 27, 2012June 10, 2013 by Valentina Rosa

Attention, Regulatory Affairs Professionals! RegLink and RAPS (Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society) are teaming up to create a news system which will cover international regulatory development coverage. In a recent article about the collaboration, RegLink partner, Louise Zornoza exclaimed, “both organizations are focused on the same goal – keeping regulatory professionals informed.” And that is exactly what these professionals can expect to see in the near future.

RegLink, an increasingly popular news source for drugs, biologics, and medical devices, covers the regulatory and health technology field. On the other hand, RAPS has over 11,000 members worldwide and recently released a new interactive website. Their website also features an updated electronic magazine, Regulatory Focus.

With two major powerhouses in the Regulatory Writing Affairs industry pursuing this new endeavor, international industry news will be available at anyone’s fingertips. What do you think about this collaboration? Would you like to see more collaboration occuring in the industry? Comment below and let us know or tweet to us @TRA360!

Canadian Drug Shortages Lead to Calls for Regulation

Posted on March 22, 2012June 10, 2013 by Valentina Rosa

In the pharmaceutical world, Canada is falling lower on the totem pole due to major drug shortages. RAPS (Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society) reports that the manufacturing plant that produces nearly 90% of all injectable drugs used in Canada, owned by Sandoz Canda, recently caught fire. These injectable drugs ranged from anesthetics to painkillers to antibiotics.

So, what now?

Canadians are calling for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s help and to propose regulations targeted at mending these issues. Harper responded that Health Canada is working on solutions to fixing this crisis, including finding multiple sources for vital medication.

What is foreseen for Canada’s drug and pharmaceutical future? Will drug prices drastically increase due to this shortage of medications? How will the US be involved? Let us know your thoughts on this major issue that Canada is facing!

The Skyrocketing Costs of Developing a New Drug

Posted on March 15, 2012June 10, 2013 by Valentina Rosa

The price of developing new drugs have dramatically increased.

What would you do with a billion dollars? Some would buy 371 Super Bowl ads, others may buy an island, but in the pharmaceutical world, a billion dollars is just a sliver of how much it costs to invent a new drug. According to the Forbes article, “The Truly Staggering Cost Of Inventing New Drugs”, the average drug developed by a major pharmaceutical company can cost as much as $11 billion!

The skyrocketing cost of inventing new drugs implies that medicine should be pricey. After all, countless hours of research and testing new drugs in laboratories across the world account for much of the hefty cost of inventing new drugs. However, what happens when the drugs fail to be approved and plummet in the medical market? Currently, less than 1 in 10 drugs that are tested in human clinical trials succeed. What does this say about the pharmaceutical industry? How about the billions of dollars being invested every year into new drugs? About the people who need and rely on new drug development?

What do you think about the skyrocketing cost of drug development? Will prices only get higher from here? Let us know your thoughts!