13 Feb Top 4 BioPharma Trends
Karen Russo
From the newest medicines being used to fight rare disease to the latest innovative digital solutions that are helping to progress the biopharma industry, here were some of the up-and-coming trends that were discussed at World Orphan Drug Congress 2017.
1. Orphan Drugs – Since the majority of rare diseases remain without any licensed treatment, the number of drugmakers that invested in rare disease drug development surged last year. The FDA received 582 requests for orphan drug designation. The Orphan Drug Act was enacted in 1983 to encourage drug manufacturers to develop new medicines for smaller, neglected diseases. Evaluate Pharma, a life sciences intelligence firm, noted that worldwide sales of the orphan drugs have grown rapidly, increasing at a faster rate than sales of non-orphans. There are a variety of incentives for drugmakers that bring orphan drugs to the market including higher prices and market exclusivity. https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/trends-rare-disease-orphan-drug-development/439866/
2. Patient Centric Care – A collection of biopharma industry leaders recently spoke at the annual World Orphan Drug Congress (WODC) 2017. A variety of topics were discussed including the importance of patient-oriented focus during the drug development process. In an effort to give more hope to patients with rare diseases, a growing number of drugmakers are working to ensure that patients are being heard throughout the process. http://www.juicepharma.com/whats-next-in-rare-disease-communications-for-healthcare-brands/
3. Gene Therapy – Biotech companies large and small are amping up their gene therapy efforts to treat orphan diseases. But, some of the companies were also quick to point out the challenges associated with clinical development including clinical trial design, immunogenicity and primary endpoint selection. http://www.juicepharma.com/whats-next-in-rare-disease-communications-for-healthcare-brands/
4. Digital Solutions – A variety if effective digital solutions are gradually being introduced to manage rare diseases. Some of the tools being used are cloud-based technology and digital image scanning. These digital solutions are making review processes more streamlined, expeditious, convenient and cost-effective. http://www.juicepharma.com/whats-next-in-rare-disease-communications-for-healthcare-brands/