Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7294
Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.
Publication type: news
Perrone M.
Government, Drug Makers Join in Research: NIH, FDA, Drug Companies to Share Research, Costs for Disease Prevention
Yahoo Finance 2006 Oct 5
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061005/drug_development_fda.html?.v=1
Abstract:
Some of the world’s largest drug companies will begin sharing research with competitors and federal scientists as part of a public-private collaboration to spur development of new treatments to prevent serious illnesses.
Federal health officials and drug industry representatives on Thursday announced plans to collaborate on developing biological indicators to diagnose diseases and assess the effectiveness of drugs. Heads of the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and drug trade groups said the Biomarkers Consortium will allow the government and industry to share the cost of research needed to develop biomarkers.
Biomarkers are biological signs that can predict whether a patient could develop a disease or respond to certain treatments. While many scientists believe biomarkers could be used to prevent illnesses before they ever appear, only a small number have been developed to such a useful degree.
“From the industry’s perspective it’s not possible for us to do this research by ourselves,” said Caroline Loew, senior vice president with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. “We believe the only way to do it is to come together under this kind of umbrella and work collaboratively with NIH and FDA to move research forward.”
The initial $1.2 million in funding for the project comes almost entirely from patient groups and drug companies, including AstraZeneca PLC, Bristol-Meyers Squibb Co., Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc.
Drug industry representatives said biomarkers could help bring products to market faster by allowing researchers to spot potential problems earlier in the drug development process.
The consortium’s first project is to assess a biomarker for lung cancer and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Companies including AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Bristol-Myers Squibb have pledged $7.5 million over five years toward it. Future projects will assess biomarkers for depression and several types of diabetes.
Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb slipped by 5 cents Thursday afternoon to $24.56 on the New York Stock Exchange. Pfizer dropped 40 cents to $27.93, while shares of Johnson & Johnson fell 62 cents to $65.21, both on the NYSE. AstraZeneca shares lost 16 cents at $62.99 on the NYSE.
