EuroPharma Today

European Generics Need To Climb Into Niches, Huddle Together For Growth

The current situation for Europe’s generic medicines manufacturers is at best uncomfortable due to significant pricing pressures and increasing competition, but the reality is that it is likely to get far worse.

Industry Is Adapting To New Pricing Reality, Says GSK Chief Andrew Witty

Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline PLC, attempted to shine a positive light on the panoply of pricing and reimbursement challenges facing the industry during a press conference at the annual meeting of the European Federal of Pharmaceutical Industries and Association, of which he's currently president.

UK's top regulator knighted; elected chair of EMA's management board

The head of Prof. Kent Woods, chief executive of the UK drugs regulator, the MHRA, must be spinning. Over the past week, he has been elected by his peers to chair the management board of the European Medicines Agency. And on Saturday, June 11, it was announced that he had received a knighthood in the UK Queen's Birthday Honors List.

Woods takes over the management board chair from Pat O'Mahony, chief executive of the Irish Medicines Board, having played a role in nominating the head of the Italian Medicines Agency, Guido Rasi, to fill the vacant position of executive director of EMA.

Woods, who continues as chief executive of the MHRA, has a three-year mandate at the management board, which oversees EMA and has 37 members, drawn from all the regulatory agencies in Europe, the European Commission and Parliament, patient and physician groups.

He qualified in medicine from Cambridge, UK, studied at Harvard School of Public Health, and was director of the National Health Services's health technology assessment program immediately prior to taking up his post at the MHRA in 2004.

Wood was knighted along with 20 others, including Dr Hugh Pelham, director of the MRC's Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, a source of numerous biotech breakthroughs, and the IVF pioneer, Prof. Robert Edwards.

Also receiving a CBE in this honors list was Kevin Young, executive vice president, commercial operations, at the US biotech Gilead Sciences, for services to the development and marketing of life changing medicines. He joined Gilead in 2004, having previously worked at Amgen and AstraZeneca. Young is also a board member of ReSurge,  a humanitarian organization providing reconstructive plastic surgery in developing countries.

John  Davis (j.davis@elsevier.com)

 

 

Ipsen's New Chief Outlines Growth Plans In U.S., Emerging Markets

New Ipsen chairman and CEO Marc de Garidel on June 9 outlined the mid-sized French pharma's new, ambitious growth strategy, six months after taking the helm. Through a tighter focus on core products, accelerated expansion in the U.S. and emerging markets, and a streamlined R&D operation, the group aims by 2020 to double its revenues to €2-2.5 billion ($2.9-3.7 billion), and triple its pre-tax profits to €500-600 million.

Guido Rasi nominated as next head of the European Medicines Agency

 
After a six-month delay, and an embarrassing re-run of the selection process, the management board of
the European Medicines Agency has finally picked the person it wishes to be the next executive director of the agency, the head of the Italian Medicines Agency, Guido Rasi.

Switzerland's Shield Therapeutics Raises $12M To Conduct Phase III Trials On Oral Iron Deficiency Product

The Wollerau, Switzerland-headquartered Shield Therapeutics AG has added CHF 10 million ($12 million) to its coffers in a series A financing from the venture capital firm Inventages Venture Capital.