Swine Flu - getting drugs to the market more rapidly

The pharmaceutical industry has been up in arms this year. Giants such as Pfizer, GSK and AstraZeneca are looking for deals in the downturn whilst competing against increasing generic competition as some of the best selling medicines are coming off patent. In addition to the sectors ever-changing landscape companies are under tremendous pressure from governments to combat the Swine flu pandemic that has gripped the world.

"The Battle to beat Swine Flu is not just being fought in the lab, the virus must be tackled on all fronts; once the vaccination is discovered the industry must be prepared by having a lean manufacturing and supply system to get it out to the masses," says Julia MacKenzie, Director, Next Generation Pharmaceutical (NGP). In order to face this pandemic, manufacturing heads in the industry are uniting at the NGP Summit, which will be held in Germany between 15th- 17th September. The summit will host over 50 of the leading pharmaceutical companies to discuss the future of pharmaceutical production and supply.

Impresarios such as Stanley Lech, Vice President - Global Innovation & World Wide Product Development for GlaxoSmithKline, Ronald Massey, Senior Director of Global Engineering for Pfizer, Dick Winokur, Vice President - Clinical Supply Chain for Sanofi-Aventis and Thomas Daszkowski, V.P. BTS-A Process Technology Healthcare for Bayer Technology have all confirmed attendance, with the agenda set to develop strategies and technologies to get drugs to the market more rapidly.

"As the Swine Flu pandemic increases, the industry has to be on the ball to deal with the need for vaccine supply. The number of cases has rapidly risen over the last few months, and as Europe heads into its winter season the demand will be worse than ever," Julia continues. "With quicker and more efficient regulations, manufacturing and supply to the masses could be improved, but in order for this to happen collaboration and communication within the industry needs to occur".

Can Europe's finest pharma companies stand up to the challenge that lies before them? Only time will tell.

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