Mar
30

Chemistry Grad School?

By Pharma Tech · Comments (1)

I am currently in the process of applying to a PhD chemistry program at a couple of chemistry graduate schools, and I was wondering when admission officers make decisions about applicants, what they usually look for the most? Education (GPA, GRE scores) or Experience?

I just graduated with a BS in chemistry with a minor in math last may

I have a sub par GPA (2.7 overall, 3.2 last 60 hours) and sub par GRE scores (in the 50th percentile)

However, I have a ton of experience (18 months) while currently working for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals research and development as a laboratory scientist intern basically performing lab tests with a lot of chemical instrumentation

I do have great recommendations as well, 1 from director of development, 1 from director of research, and 1 from a professor

So im just asking, what are my chances of getting into grad school, and what do admission officers look for the most?

Thanks!

Categories : Trials
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The Information Technology revolution has simplified the process of managing and sharing large volumes of data.   This is especially true for the pharmaceutical industry that finds itself bogged down by bulk loads of data as it tries to meet the ever-stringent standards of the regulatory authorities. Pharmacovigilance systems and the Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) help drug companies manage data from clinical trials efficiently, while saving them a great deal of time, money and other resources.

Clinical trials usually involve a whole range of activities – right from study setup to recruitment of samples, finance management, investigator selection, monitoring, analyzing and collating data and results . This data-rich process is made a whole lot easier using a CTMS, as day-to-day data collection and collation is carried out in an organized fashion and the entire data can be retrieved, analyzed and transferred within minutes.  So, the company can save on time and money, which can be directed towards making better drugs.

Advantages of an effective Clinical Trials Management System:

Allows for integrated electronic data capture of all aspects of a clinical trial

Streamlines clinical trials making it easier to monitor, execute and manage clinical trials

Fast and accurate tracking and analysis of trial processes and results

Allows for easy access and transfer of data, anywhere across the globe

Provides automated safety-to-investigator report distribution

Saves drug companies money spent to record and maintain data during clinical trials

Gives drug companies the flexibility to manage information from clinical trials

In the race to get the next ‘wonder drug’ into the market and earn a few more billions, drug companies need to work faster and be more productive as time is of essence, when it comes to saving lives and beating competition. Pharmacovigilance systems like CTMS help companies manage clinical trials efficiently and bring newer products into the market, a lot faster.

Clinical Trials Management System helps drug companies manage data from clinical trials more efficiently. Pharmacovigilance system use information technology to track and manage data pertaining to the pharmaceutical industry.

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I’m searching SAS – Clinical Jobs in India. I wanted to know what are ll the companies recruiting SAS Programmers in India.And Also What are all the Pharma companies here in India using SAS in clinical Trials.

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Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly common for insurance companies to offer clinical trial coverage for patients. But very few clinical trial providers and investigators understand the importance of building customized clinical trial coverage that will protect them. Here we present a handy guide regarding clinical trial insurance.

Manage The Risk of Life Sciences Research

As a company that conducts medical research, you are required to comply with a variety of federally mandated standards. Part of your plan of action should include an airtight insurance policy.

Companies that conduct clinical trials, research new medical devices, or test new drugs are all vulnerable to a variety of different risks. The majority of insurance companies are not properly equipped to handle life science insurance. This is why people involved in clinical trials research need to hire an insurance company that has extensive knowledge of the clinical trial coverage landscape.

If You Do Any of the Following…Then You Need Clinical Trials Insurance

Here’s a brief list of the types of companies that need to acquire customized life sciences insurance:

•    Companies that research, test, produce, or distribute drugs and pharmaceuticals.

•    Companies that assemble, organize, and administer clinical trials.

•    Companies that perform contracted research.

•    Companies that are seriously involved in the biotechnology sector.

•    Companies that manufacture, market, advertise, or test medical devices or inventions.

•    Companies that take part in life sciences.

According to BNet, there is an average of 4.2 million people who were enrolled in clinical trials in the past year. The number of patients who participate in clinical trials is climbing.

Rising International Life Science Studies

Many U.S based life sciences companies are administering clinical trials all over the world. This creates a variety of risk management issues that must be addressed. In fact, each country establishes strict rules and regulations for clinical trials. It is the responsibility of any life sciences company doing business in a foreign country to fully educate themselves regarding clinical trial law.

This also highlights the need for an insurance company that can build a policy to protect life sciences companies that are working internationally. Most jurisdictions require that clinical trial providers obtain local insurance. This local insurance must be purchased separately from the company’s initial insurance policy.

Be Active in Protecting Your Company

It’s extremely important for life sciences companies to manage risk proactively. Often, this means hiring underwriters who can devise complicated insurance policies for large life sciences companies.

Clinical trial administrators and investigators must ensure that they only purchase a policy from an insurance company that is highly rated. Remember, also, that life sciences coverage often requires high underwriting limits. So only insurance companies with the proper clout can take on life sciences companies.

Life sciences companies should evaluate the following factors when deciding on an insurance company:

1.    The company’s adherence to mandated regulations.

2.    Experience in clinical trial insurance.

3.    Access to and ownership of a policy database that contains extensive information about legal requirements in various jurisdictions.

4.    Works within a global network

5.    Geographic reach and ability to offer customized products.

If you are a clinical trials provider, it’s imperative that you select an insurance company that will provide you with thorough coverage. You can then conduct your research securely and comply with all necessary regulations.

To build an insurance policy that will be effective and affordable, you need a company that actually customizes your policy for you. Visit us at www.rja.com to consult with an insurance professional who will construct a policy that will work for you.

Categories : Trials
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A properly designed clinical trial forms an integral part of successful drug development. However, to design and execute an effective clinical trial requires cooperation, understanding and respect of a multi-disciplinary team. The book, “A Quick Guide to Clinical Trials” explores the very essentials of clinical trials to lead the reader into the exciting arena.
Aimed at imparting a solid foundation of the clinical trials process, its drivers, checks and balances and more, this book sets out to deliver a unique view of clinical trial process, and how the reader can contribute to it? Inspired by young recruits to the pharmaceutical industry, it follows a jargon-lite style of presentation, the chapters however, are comprehensive enough for you to conceptualize a framework, which you can build upon later to include as many jargons as you please.

Further, as the book is appreciative of how challenging it can sometimes be for professionals to maintain currency of knowledge as it is generated, each chapter serves as a quick review of the clinical trials process, its drivers, checks and balances, etc. even for those who’ve matured in the industry.

The 14 chapters of the book have been classified in to 3 sections, namely broad overview, nuts and bolts, and the future.

1. The Broad Overview explains the significance of clinical trials, covers a short history of the FDA and clinical trials, and delves into the business aspect of pharmaceutical drug development.

 

2. The Nuts And Bolts section provides a comprehensive coverage of various aspects of clinical trial processes. It includes the following topics: project management, ethics in clinical research, regulatory affairs, monitoring, statistics, data management, technology in clinical trials, medical writing, the clinical research physician, and clinical trials vis-a-vis the patient.

 

3. The Future segment discusses the projections about the forthcoming outlook of the field, and is aptly titled “the future of clinical trials.”

 

To learn more about the recently launched book on clinical trials follow me through the link below.

Follwo Me


I am a journalist with 7 years of experience. Though, as a professional I’ve reported on myriad topics, my favorites remain to be the medical and the automobile industry. I blog as it gives me a platform to write about my interests.

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Analyzing Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

Who conducts mesothelioma clinical trials?

Mesothelioma trials are conducted to study and experiment on the effectiveness of the new drugs and treatments invented for mesothelioma.Visit here http://mesotheliomatreatment-option.blogspot.com

The cancer institutes, research centers and hospitals mostly conduct these trials. Doctors, private organizations and others fund them. Certain pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers also conduct and fund mesothelioma clinical trials. They do this because they want volunteers to test their new drugs.

How to find mesothelioma clinical trials?

The advertisement for clinical trials appears in cancer centers, newspapers and magazines. Many people enlist for the clinical trials out of their own will. They speak cancer research centers and doctors and express their wish to volunteer for clinical trial. These people do so because they want to help other cancer patients who suffer like them. However, apart from all this, the best place to check out about clinical trials is online. Lots of websites gives information about the trials taking place and how volunteers can participate in them.

What are the phases of mesothelioma clinical trials?

Mesothelioma clinical trials are normally done in three phases:

1) Phase I trial: This trial involves only very few people. It is used to test the effectiveness of the new drugs or new type of treatment.

2) Phase II trial: This trial involves a larger group of subjects. The drug’s side effects, safety, dosage and effectiveness are tested using this trial.

3) Phase III trial: This trial involves a huge amount of people from various cancer treatment Centers simultaneously. This is a comparative trial in which the new medicine or type of treatment is compared to the existing ones. The comparative risks, benefits and effectiveness are analyzed.

What are the benefits of mesothelioma clinical trials?

There are many benefits of taking part in a mesothelioma clinical trial. Some of these benefits are listed below:

1) The patients who participate in mesothelioma clinical trials have easy access to the latest drugs and treatments that have been invented. These are not available for the other non-participants.

2) Normally, the new drugs and treatments are invented after much research and experiments. So, they are more effective and work well than the current drugs and treatments. So, the volunteers would highly benefit from these new drugs and treatments.

3) The medical research personnel and doctors consider a participant in a mesothelioma clinical trial a very special person. So, the volunteer gets lots of special and close medical attention on all aspects of the treatment.

4) Every clinical trial helps medical science advance one more step. This will define the medicines and treatments of the future. The destiny of millions depends on these advancements.

5) The volunteers for mesothelioma clinical trials are contributing to a huge social cause. It is because of them that many find their life during the disease more comfortable.
The above are the various benefits for volunteers taking part in mesothelioma clinical trials.

What are the risks involved in participating in a mesothelioma clinical trial?

A mesothelioma clinical trial is only an experimental study of new drugs and new types of treatments. These may be advantageous or disadvantageous. The main risks associated with taking part in a mesothelioma clinical trial are as follows:

1) The new medicine or new method of treatment may not be better than the current one. Sometimes, it may even worsen the condition.

2) Mostly, medical researchers and doctors are not aware of the exact side effects and consequences of the new medicines or types of treatment invented by them. So, there may also arise to be risky side effects because of the clinical trial.

3) The clinical trial treatments may not be covered by health insurance. So,
It is always better to find out about this before going in for the mesothelioma clinical trial.

4) A clinical trial involves much more interaction between the doctor and the patient. So, the patient will have to go to the hospital more often. These frequent visits may be tiresome and irritating during an uncomfortable illness like mesothelioma.

5) If the patient gives a complete free hand to the doctors and researchers, then they may not have any choice in the treatment, which they will receive. This may be difficult and risky for the patient.

What is the eligibility to participate in a mesothelioma clinical trial?

Normally, there is no specific eligibility to participate in a mesothelioma clinical trial. However, sometimes there may be certain conditions that may be imposed for participating in a mesothelioma clinical trial. These are as follows:

1) Some studies may want only first-time Volunteers. Others may permit even those who have been in other studies previously.

2) Some Studies may be random, giving no choice to the patients about the type of treatment they may receive. Others may be more specific about giving a choice to the patients.

3) Sometimes, some studies may focus on only one particular type of mesothelioma. Thus, other patients suffering from other types of mesothelioma are not eligible for such studies. For instance, a person suffering from pleural mesothelioma (mesothelioma originating from the lungs) is not eligible to participate in a study involving peritoneal mesothelioma (mesothelioma originating from the abdomen).

4) Some studies may require a person in a particular stage of cancer. Thus, others become ineligible for that study For instance, a person in the second stage of cancer becomes ineligible for a study Involving persons in the fourth stage of cancer.

5) Some studies may specifically require people of a particular sex or of a particular age group.

6) Some studies may require people of a particular background. For instance, people who are smokers or people who have worked in asbestos industries or so on.

What are the types of mesothelioma clinical trials?

There are various types of mesothelioma clinical trials. Some of them are listed below:

Prevention Trials:

These trials are directed towards finding out a way to avoid the occurrence of mesothelioma. These studies use people who do not have mesothelioma or people who have had it but now the cancer is in remission. They try to find out ways to prevent recurrence.

Screening Trials:

These trials are conducted to study whether the diagnosis and discovery of cancer is effective. People who are cancer free but have factors, which predispose them to cancer, participate in this trial.

Diagnostic Trials:

These are trials, which study about the diagnostic procedures and test their effectiveness. Patients who show symptoms of mesothelioma can participate in this trial.

Treatment Trials:

This trial tests the effectiveness of new types of treatments and the various new drugs. Volunteers for this type of trial are patients with mesothelioma.Visit here http://mesotheliomatreatment-option.blogspot.com

Visit here http://mesotheliomatreatment-option.blogspot.com

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Everything is for good. Osama gets credit for many new inventions. He can patent his inventions. It is a proof that constructive people find light even in destructions. Indian has to learn lot of lessons from it.

Can drugs induce cancer cells to commit suicide? That’s the goal of Apo2L/ TRAIL, a protein jointly developed by Genentech (DNA ) and Amgen (AMGN ) that activates two different cell-suicide pathways. In the first clinical trial of the drug, cancer growth was halted in 26 of 37 patients assessed.

A second cell-suicide drug, Astellas Pharma’s YM155, was tested in 41 patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. The tumors shrank in five. Side effects for both drugs were far less than found with standard chemo.

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I have BSc in Pharmacy. I am interested to work in a clinical research field. I read about many online courses in this field like “Kriger’s”. It will cost around $1000, and I am not sure if it will help me find a good job in research field in international pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer or Abbott. So if anyone of u has an idea , plz I need ur advice. Thank u in advance:)

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From simply using natural substances and plant extracts for the treatment of diseases to systematic and extensive research processes, the pharmaceutical research and development services industry has, indeed, evolved tremendously. The demand for fast and effective medications and drugs, especially for contagious diseases that did not have cure then, paved the way for this fast evolution.

The pharmaceutical industry is responsible for the development of new drugs and medicines that aim to address the different health issues and diseases that the world is facing. And although drug development has been evident since the early times, it was only during the 19th century that the pharmaceutical industry started to use the modern processes of developing and introducing medications to the market.

Today, research and development in the pharmaceutical industry involves high-end equipment and revolutionary procedures. A drug would have to undergo a series of processes and tests, including toxicology, metabolic studies, and pre-clinical pharmacology, before it could be ready for human trial and eventually for introduction to the market. It is a trial-and-error methodology, but with this complicated and extensive endeavor, the industry is able to produce the most effective and safest medication to treat different human diseases.

The world’s continuous battle against many health issues, along with the discovery of new illnesses, has made the role of the pharmaceutical industry challenging and critical. And while the success of pharmaceutical research and development lies on the availability of resources, including excellent scientific talents and knowledgeable individuals, the success of the pharmaceutical industry depends on adequate research and development.

Resource Box:

UPM Pharmaceuticals is a leading provider of pharmaceutical research and development services. The company also offers formulation development, stability testing and analytical methods of development, among other services. For more information, visit www.upm-inc.com or call 410-843-3738.

Jeff Paul is a writer and copy editor who likes to share information on many different topics.

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This video highlights some of the remarks made by participants at the opening of the experts meeting on the first-ever comprehensive study on African pharmaceutical research and development capacity: Strengthening Pharmaceutical Innovation in Africa. Significantly, the meeting received strong support from several senior African political figures Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of The New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA); Naledi Pandor, South Africas Minister of Science and Technology, and AU Social Affairs Commissioner Bience Gawanas. They applauded the practical steps that the group proposed for African medicines innovation, which will help put into action the emerging innovation and finding mechanisms for countries medicines priorities the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa and Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public, Innovation and Intellectual Property. This video clip highlights the remarks made by Carel ijsselmuiden, Director of Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED)

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