Formula 1 technology in drug trials

Doctors are using Formula 1 technology to test the effectiveness of experimental medicines.

Smart sensors used by McLaren to track the performance of their cars on the track are being used for the first time in clinical trials of new drugs.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) hopes that by precisely tracking the movements of patients they will get earlier feedback on whether a drug helps to get them back on their feet.
Currently doctors try to estimate a patient's response to a drug by asking how far and how often they walk.
But sensors that are taped to the neck can monitor patients day and night, providing a far more objective - and accurate - measure of activity.

The accelerometer gives detailed data on a patient's physical activity

Dr Caroline Hargrove, technical director at McLaren Applied Technologies, is adapting the sensors and the software used to analyse the data for human use.
"Rather than how fast you have gone round a lap, it's how many minutes of walking you have done," she said.
"A simple, small sensor gives you so much context to go on. It captures something quite subjective - the level of activity you do.
"It's something difficult to get out of people."
Sky News was allowed to test one of the sensors over several days.

McLaren's Dr Hargrove is adapting the F1 technology for a new purpose

The 3D accelerometer is so accurate that scientists were able to differentiate periods of relative inactivity while working, from general movements around a home or office.
They can even tell how often people move while in bed to give an indication of their sleep quality.
GSK is using the sensors to in drug trials on patients who have rheumatoid arthritis or have suffered a stroke.

The data can even give an idea of the quality of someone's sleep

Dr Ravi Rao, a consultant rheumatologist and medicines development leader at the company, said the data can be analysed to determine the duration of an arthritis patient's stiffness in the morning.
"These quality of life measures, in terms of how a patient is functioning with a disease, are incredibly important - more important sometimes than a blood test or a physical examination."
The pharmaceutical company hopes the technology will speed up drug development.
Currently, it takes 10 years and hundreds of millions of pounds for a medicine to go from lab bench to clinic.

The sensors can help people who have arthiritis, says GSK's Dr Rao

Dr Steve Mayhew, leading GSK's partnership with McLaren, said: "By getting an early understanding of whether our medicine is behaving as we expect, it allows us to make a decision on whether to continue to develop it.

"Crucially we won't recruit patients to an experimental study where we don't think there will be any benefit to them."

from: sky news

Pfizer to stop using Blackberry phones

AllThingsD reports that pharmaceutical company Pfizer has advised all of its BlackBerry-using employees to move on to iOS or Android smartphones for work due to BlackBerry’s current “volatile state.” A Pfizer spokesperson explained to AllThingsD that it was recommending that employees continue to ”use their BlackBerry devices and… migrate to a new device at normal contract expiration.” Pfizer employs around 90,000 people and AllThingsD’s sources say the company’s BlackBerry deployment is “huge.” There is a silver lining for Pfizer workers who don’t want to give up their BlackBerrys, however — they’ll at least be able to get BBM on their new iPhones and Android phones

Source: BGR

IDMA & PharmaTechnologyIndex.com to jointly organise PharmaTech Expo 2011 at Indore

Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA), is venturing into the exhibition space with the launch of PharmaTech Expo 2011 as an initiative of celebrating Golden Jubilee year commencing January 2011. PharmaTech Expo 2011 is jointly organised with IDMA by PharmaTechnologyIndex.com, a KNS group of company and concurrent with Indiamart Indexpo at Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP) at Lal Baugh Palace Ground, Indore from April 22 – 24, 2011.
Indore is the hub of big, medium and small pharma companies. Ranbaxy, IPCA, Plethico, Piramal, PDPL, Syncom, Lupin, Pentagon, and Advance Enzyme are some of well known manufacturers having their large production base in and around Indore. The Unichem project is now coming up in Indore in a big way as well. The event will be a great opportunity for pharma as well as machinery and equipment manufacturers to project their products during a three day events.

The main objectives of organising PharmaTech Expo 2011 in Indore, is to project the latest technological trends in pharma industry, facilities and services available, quality control and Government regulations and controls. The event will showcase the latest products, machinery, equipment developments in the industry for generating business and upgradation, and to project the brand value of organisations, joint venture firm, partnership firm, project collaborations, transfer of technology, investments and R&D.

The event will comprise of a wide range of exhibitors categories like APIs and formulations manufacturers, processing plant and machinery, packaging materials and machinery, lab equipment, instruments, lab wares, water treatment, waste management, biotechnology and CROs, intermediates manufacturers, excipients, additives, R&D, quality control etc., healthcare products, research and development and standards, environment and pollution control, technical publications, trade associations, trade promotion bodies, safety equipments and software for pharma industry and management.