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European BioPharmaceutical Review
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| A wide spectrum of diseases can arise if the immune system reacts to antigens and tissues that are better left alone. Allergic reactions to environmental antigens, autoimmune reactions to self tissue antigens, and reactions to allo-antigens in transplants together make up this group of clinical conditions. Current therapies for these diseases either only relieve symptoms, or induce non-specific suppression of the immune system which can lead to severe infection, as well as drug-related toxicity. There is now a resurgence of interest in how the immune system prevents or down-regulates its responses to antigens, leading to the possibility of a new class of treatments for these diseases which addresses antigen-specific tolerance - the 'holy grail' of immunotherapy.
The Immune System - A Two-Sided Coin
The immune system is a powerful and essential defence mechanism which protects against a wide range of potentially damaging invaders - bacteria, viruses and parasites. It maintains constant surveillance over these infectious agents and without it we would not survive for very long. However, there is a price to be paid when it goes wrong and attacks where it should not, resulting in allergies, autoimmune disease and rejection of transplants. |
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Industry Events |
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4th Annual Patient Recruitment and Retention in Clinical Trials
13-15 October 2008, Amsterdam
Patient recruitment
is now consuming thirty percent of clinical trial time - more time than any
other clinical trial activity - and almost half of all trial delays result from
patient recruitment problems.
As the
recruiting culture becomes more sophisticated and the forces affecting patient
enrollment grow more numerous and complex, pharmaceutical companies are
striving to discover new strategies to facilitate enrollment in clinical
trials.
With
increasing industry pressure to develop, test and market greater numbers of new
drugs faster, pharmaceutical companies need to perform clinical trials as
quickly as possible. Inefficient patient recruitment processes is a formidable
barrier to pharmaceutical companies' success in launching new products.
Improving the patient recruitment process is imperative to avoid wasted
investments and eliminate costly delays in bringing new drugs to market --
today and even more so in the not-so-distant future. Improved patient
recruitment presents one of the largest opportunities for pharmaceutical
companies to eliminate delays in clinical trials, thereby making it possible to
reduce time to market. With patent time limits and large overheads
meaning that any delays in the development timeline can be disastrous, a good
understanding of how to successfully recruit patients for trials is vital for
any company looking to succeed.
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News and Press Releases |
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Azopharma Product Development Group, Inc
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Azopharma Product Development Group, Inc. (“Azopharma”) announced today the addition of innovative state-of-the-art equipment at its formulation and manufacturing division, ApiCross Drug Delivery Technologies in Hollywood, Florida. The most recent acquisition is the MG Futura Capsule Filler which delivers the latest in capsule filling technology. The company has also added a Bausch & Strobel Aseptic Filling Isolator, equipment that is ground-breaking in the powder filling process. These additions support our previously implemented XcelodoseTM powder micro-dosing system. With these technologies, Azopharma is able to provide its clients with all forms of the capsule filling process. The new equipment is part of Azopharma’s recent manufacturing expansion which includes 17 new manufacturing suites for GMP, cytotoxic and aseptic products...
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