UAE When the photographic film industry faced a crisis in the early 2000s, market leader Kodak began to struggle and was obliged to make an existential decision. In 2010, worldwide demand for photographic film had fallen to less than a tenth of what it had been only ten years before. Two…

UAE With a combined experience of over five decades in the pharmaceutical industry including senior executive roles at companies such as Merck and Janssen, Karim Smaira and Kamel Ghammachi have come a long way with Genpharm, the Dubai-based market access company they founded in 2012. After years of learning the ins…

Canada Dr Neil Cashman looks at the potential impact of US FDA approval for Biogen’s aducanumab on the search for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) treatments, and how Canada is playing a leading role in the development of the next generation of AD therapies.   We’re at the advent of a potential landmark…

Opinion Francois Sandre, Head of Asia & JPAC for Sanofi Pasteur outlines the importance of a sustainable global vaccine ecosystem and why a value-based approach, ensuring a steady supply of vaccines, and encouraging innovation are all crucial to meeting the public health goals of the future.   Vaccination is one of…

Opinion Regular PharmaBoardroom contributor David Crean looks at how the ongoing global coronavirus outbreak has impacted the global economy, how the biopharmaceutical industry is responding, and what the longer-term consequences of the crisis and responses to it will be.   The latest disruptor to global health and the economy is the…

Switzerland German biopharma giant Merck is investing EUR 250 million in a new Swiss biotech development facility; underscoring the company’s reliance on Switzerland for the manufacturing of advanced biologicals.   The Merck Biotech Development Center is to be located in Corsier-sur-Vevey, south-western Switzerland, close to the firm’s existing biotech commercial manufacturing…

Italy Italian mid-cap firm Chiesi is continuing its expansion in the USA market with the launch of a Boston-based subsidiary focusing on rare and ultra-rare diseases.   We are very excited to put Chiesi’s decades of experience in drug development and dedication to patients to work to make a positive difference…

Coronavirus The ongoing coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent shutdown of factories in China is having severe repercussions for Indian pharma manufacturers and could lead to global shortages.   Shortages and Price Rises in India India depends on China for 80 percent of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) that it uses in…

Hungary In line with its status as one of Europe’s most dynamic economies, Hungary is aiming to boost both its life sciences industry and the level of healthcare it provides to its citizens.   Year-on-year GDP growth stood at 4.8 percent in 2019, driven on by a burgeoning domestic pharmaceuticals industry…

Opinion Jonathan Kimball of the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) in the USA outlines why the signing of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in January 2020 may mark a turning point for greater access to generic and biosimilar medicines globally.   US trading partners should take note. There is no longer a…

Opinion Brendan Shaw outlines the long road still to travel to meet the UN Sustainable Development goal of ensuring basic healthcare financing for every citizen in the world by 2030 and the vital role that the private sector must play in attempting to meet this challenge.   The majority of developing…

Mexico The election of populist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) on 1 July 2018 heralded a new era of hope and optimism for Mexicans. In the first 13 months of his term, he has made full use of his popularity. With enviable approval ratings consistently exceeding 60 percent, he has…