Monday, March 30, 2009

Brain Food: Drug Truths


DRUG TRUTHS: Dispelling the myths about pharma R&D

Dr John LaMattina


Big pharmaceutical companies have produced numerous life-saving medications that have benefited many patients. However, they are also often thought to be money-minded by charging a lot of money for their drugs.

In this book, former president of global research and development at drug company Pfizer, Dr John LaMattina, seeks to dispel some of the misconceptions about drug development in the industry.

The book is divided into four parts. The first two parts discuss the drug discovery process to treat cardiovascular diseases and the role that pharmaceutical R&D plays in healthcare. The second half of the book discusses the profit considerations of the industry and its future.

The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a time of mergers, reduced R&D budgets and staff cuts. Dr LaMattina predicts that the industry will see more consolidation, increased safety studies on drugs and more research on different drugs.

But do new medicines add to healthcare costs with little benefit?

Does the industry spend more on advertising than R&D? And does the industry take too long to discover new drugs? These are some of the notions he sets about to dispel.

Narrated with concrete examples of the research and clinical efforts behind bringing a drug to the market, the book offers an insider’s account of the reality of the drug discovery process.
ONG DAI LIN

From Today, Succeed
Monday, 30-March-2009

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