Dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, humans have enjoyed the making and drinking of wine. The health benefits of wine – particularly the red variety – have been praised by everyone from scientists to sommeliers, reinforcing the common belief that a little red wine each day is actually good for our bodies. Clinical research on the subject has been rich and varied, featuring investigations into wine’s potential to protect against depression, breast cancer, the signs of aging, liver disease – and even sunburn! And now, a new study has emerged linking wine consumption with protection against cardiovascular disease (CVD), a condition.. READ MORE »
Wearable health-tracking technology is changing the way trial researchers collect and analyze big data, transforming test subjects into active research collaborators and widening the scope of clinical research.
Quality control professionals are at the forefront of safer drug development, using cutting-edge technology and rigorous protocols to reinforce GMP in pharmaceutical products. From HPLC testing and Validation, to Quality Auditing, certified team members work together to ensure the efficacy of new treatments, and the protection of patient health.
Pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline has been hit with yet another marketing violation. The drugmaker has paid $105 million to more than 40 American states who filed suit against GSK for promoting off-label uses for its antidepressants. But financial payouts are proving little more than slaps on the wrist for the repeat offender who continues to engage in illegal promotional strategies.
Imagine being able to grow part of an organ in a lab – and then run tests on its functioning in order to truly understand how best to treat a particular condition. Rather than use human subjects to test new therapies, which involves costly and complex pharmaceutical quality control protocols, researchers could develop customized treatments using genetically engineered samples. Organ-on-a-chip Scientists from Harvard’s Wyss Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have collaborated to revolutionize clinical research with new organ-on-a-chip technology. Using patient stem cells, the team actually engineered part of a heart. The.. READ MORE »
Canadians are plagued by skyrocketing drug prices, and in many cases are unable to afford life-saving treatments. Big Pharma defends its position, maintaining that an influx of cheap generics has forced it to inflate name brand pricing.
FDA investigators expose India-based Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries for tampering with test data and a complete failure to maintain sanitary conditions in its laboratories. Inspectors encounter human waste, rodent traps, and manufacturing refuse at the plant, prompting a ban on US exports.
Western medicine loves its pharmaceuticals. There are pills, injections, inhalers and patches for every conceivable ailment. It seems that each month brings a new drug delivery system to pharmacy shelves and medicine cabinets, promising to relieve or cure whatever ails us. Unfortunately, our dependence on chemical compounds has brought with it a slew of unwanted side-effects, the problem of antibiotic resistance, and in many cases has moved us no closer to preventing devastating disease. Looking instead to nature for answers, scientists from the universities of Bonn and Lille have presented groundbreaking clinical research on the cognitive benefits of caffeine. With.. READ MORE »
Over the past 20 years, 3D printing has made incredible leaps forward – from paper products to spare parts for the space station, it seems there are few limits to what the technology can create. And those limits have been stretched even further by recent innovations in live tissue printing. Known as bioprinting, the process has enabled scientists to engineer bones and tissue from samples of a patient’s own cells, and it has tremendous potential in the areas of prosthetics, organ replacement and clinical research. With the power to change how drugs are tested and how disease is treated, 3D.. READ MORE »
Have you ever enrolled in a class, attended the first lecture and then realized it was nothing like you thought it would be? Perhaps the material was not what you had in mind, the projected assignments seemed out of line with what you’d read in the course description – or maybe you just had a change of heart. No big deal. You just drop the course and sign up for another. But what if you’re already part way through your certification or diploma program and you discover you’ve chosen unwisely? You’ve already invested too much to turn back – switching.. READ MORE »
