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Event: Crowley, Gragnolati to Keynote Montclair State and HINJ’s April 13 ‘PharmFest 2016: The Value of Innovation’
Montclair, NJ, March 31, 2016 ― Montclair State University has announced that John Crowley, Chairman and CEO, Amicus Therapeutics, Inc., and Brian Gragnolati, President and CEO, Atlantic Health Systems, will be keynote presenters at PharmFest 2016, a biennial forum presented by the university in partnership with the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ).
PharmFest 2016 will be held Wednesday, April 13 at MSU’s Conference Center from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
With the theme of “The Value of Innovation,” PharmFest 2016 will explore emerging issues and trends impacting the biopharmaceutical, health and medical technology sectors and to broaden awareness of the current and future state of the industry.
In addition, PharmFest panel discussions will focus on:
- Accelerating New Cures
- Personalized Medicine
- Healthcare Analytics
- Innovating Applications of Technology Continue reading
New Jersey Health Foundation Adds NJIT to Its Growing List of Affiliates
New Brunswick, NJ, March 31, 2016 ― New Jersey Health Foundation (NJHF) and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) are pleased to announce the signing of an affiliation agreement that allows both organizations to work together to advance research and technology to address health-related challenges around the world.
“We are delighted to add New Jersey Institute of Technology and its New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) to our growing list of academic affiliates, which also includes Princeton, Rutgers, Rowan and Stevens Institute of Technology,” said George F. Heinrich, M.D., vice chair and CEO of NJHF.
“Faculty at all of these organizations possess the technology know-how and entrepreneurial spirit we seek to form exciting partnerships that can advance our mutual goals of bringing breakthrough technology to the marketplace,” Dr. Heinrich added. Continue reading
Rutgers Research: Heart and Liver Disease Linked to Antioxidant Shutdown
New Brunswick, NJ, March 30, 2016 ― Rutgers’ Robin Lally reports that a protein that should help fight infection and keep us healthy may be targeted for treating devastating illnesses like heart and liver disease, according to a new Rutgers study.
In research published in Molecular Cell, Rutgers scientists discovered that a protein (p. 62), which is supposed to act as an antioxidant to prevent cell damage, was not working efficiently in laboratory mice with liver and heart disease that mimicked these conditions in humans.
This caused oxidative stress — too much oxygen that damages healthy cells — and allowed the release of harmful molecules, called free radicals, which resulted in serious illness. One of the body’s first lines of defense, the cells antioxidant response system is supposed to prevent these harmful invaders from causing a domino effect and damaging other cells. Continue reading
IMS Institute Report: Biosimilar Drugs Could Save Up to $110 Billion by 2020
London, England, March 30, 2016 ― Ben Hirschler reports for Reuters that lower-cost copies of complex biotech drugs, known as biosimilars, could save the United States and Europe’s five top markets as much as 98 billion euros ($110 billion) by 2020, according to a new analysis by IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics said.
Realizing those savings, however, depends on effective doctor education and healthcare providers adopting smart market access strategies, the report said.
A saving of 98 billion euros is based on eight major branded biotech drugs, including AbbVie’s Humira and Roche’s Herceptin, that are set to lose patent protection over the next five years. Continue reading
HINJ’s ‘By the Numbers’ Portal Showcases Life Sciences’ New Jersey Economic Impact
New Brunswick, NJ, March 28, 2016 ― The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) has updated “New Jersey Life Sciences: By the Numbers,” the association’s compilation of information from HINJ and third-party sources on the life sciences sector’s significant impact on New Jersey’s economy.
HINJ’s By the Numbers includes economic-impact data from a number of resources, including the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Choose New Jersey and We Work for Health New Jersey, among others.
HINJ’s expanded By the Number page is the latest offering on HINJ.org, which was relaunched in February 2013 as part of HINJ’s strategic plan to build a dynamic communications capability that delivers relevant, robust and timely information to internal and external stakeholders. Continue reading
PhRMA Takes Pro-Active Strategy to Capitol Hill
Stephen Ubl
Washington, DC, March 28, 2016 ― Sarah Ferris reports in The Hill that the new head of Washington, DC’s biggest drug lobby has a strategy to help overcome a tortuous year of bad publicity on pricing: More lab coats on Capitol Hill.
Steve Ubl, president and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Researcher and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), plans to deploy top scientists and researchers to meet with lawmakers in a potentially make-or-break year for the industry.
Capitol Hill offices also will get facetime with the patients who have benefited from some of the newest, and costliest, drugs, Ferris reports.
It’s a marked shift for a drug lobby that Ubl acknowledged has “focused on defense” since it became a political target during the early days of the Affordable Care Act, and even more recently, during the fierce debate over drug pricing. Continue reading
PhRMA Offers Consumers Online Resources on Biologics and Biosimilars
Washington, DC, March 27, 2016 ― Biological medicines often represent the cutting-edge of biomedical research and have revolutionized the treatment of a variety of medical illnesses and conditions that presently have no other treatments available.
A biosimilar product is exactly what its name implies — it is a biologic that is “similar” to another biologic drug already approved by the FDA.
To help increase awareness and understanding of the important scientific, regulatory and reimbursement policies for these medicines, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has launched a new section of our website today that provides educational resources on these topics. Continue reading
Obamacare’s Sixth Anniversary: Transforming Healthcare Coverage in NJ; 770K Jerseyans Now Insured
Trenton, NJ, March 26, 2016 ― Lilo M. Stainton reports in NJ Spotlight that, when President Barack Obama signed the landmark Affordable Care Act in 2010, he may well have had children like Aditya “Addy” Mena of North Brunswick in mind.
Born prematurely at just 33 weeks, Addy struggled from the start with life-threatening complications from a rare anemia that took months to diagnose.
His mother, Uma Mena, credited PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick for diagnosing the disease and saving her son’s life. (She now works at the hospital part-time helping other families.) Continue reading
NJ Department of Health Recognizes March 24 as World TB Day: ‘Unite to End TB’
Trenton, NJ, March 24, 2016 ― With the rate of active tuberculosis beginning to level off nationally, Acting Health Commissioner Cathleen D. Bennett lauded public health workers for their efforts in the fight against the disease, but warned that only through sustained public education and vigilance will New Jersey be able to continue its progress against this serious public health threat.
“Last year, 326 New Jersey residents were diagnosed with active TB. This represents a 66.8 percent decrease in cases since TB peaked in New Jersey in 1992, when there were 982 cases,” Acting Commissioner Bennett said.
“New Jersey has a world-class TB program, and we are continuing our collaboration with physicians, hospitals, researchers and clinics to achieve the goal of eliminating TB in our lifetime,” Bennett said. Continue reading
New Study: Older Americans Taking More Medications and Supplements
New York, NY, March 24, 2016 ― Reuters’ Andrew M. Seaman reports that the proportion of older Americans taking at least five medications or supplements went up in a recent study.
The increase in people using multiple medications — known as polypharmacy — paralleled an increase in the number of older Americans at risk for major drug interactions, researchers found.
“That’s a concern from a public health standpoint, because it’s getting worse,” said Dima Qato, the study’s lead author from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Continue reading
