IDrugs : the investigational drugs journal
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The HealthNetwork Communications' Fourth Annual Conference on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Market Access Outlook Europe 2010, held in London, included topics covering the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry, specifically related to pricing and reimbursement, and demonstrating the value of a pharmaceutical. This conference report highlights selected presentations on a global perspective on pricing and reimbursement, with an analysis of the specific, unique challenges in the six major markets, Europe, the US, Canada, Germany, the UK and Japan, and a discussion of the benefits of risk-sharing schemes.
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Tyrosine kinase receptors have important signaling functions in various physiological and pathological pathways. The recognition of their involvement in tumor angiogenesis, which is the main event of tumor progression, opened a new era in the discovery of anticancer drugs. Developers soon grasped that by targeting several tyrosine kinase receptors at once, so-called multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitors, a drug could dramatically affect the progression of cancer and decrease resistance. ⋯ The sustained inhibition of VEGFR phosphorylation (> 24 h), the fast in vivo clearance and clinical efficacy against a broad range of malignancies appear to be the major advantages of intedanib. Furthermore, the existing data suggest an excellent safety profile. At the time of publication, intedanib had reached phase III trials for the treatment of NSCLC and ovarian cancer.
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The PHup2Date 2010, held in Munich, Germany, included topics covering issues relevant for drug development in the field of pulmonary hypertension (PH). This conference report highlights selected presentations on the diagnosis and treatment of PH, the mechanisms of action of PH drugs and the regulatory challenges faced by novel PH therapeutics.