Big Pharma pulls out of U.K. trials
There's more bad news today for the U.K.'s drug development industry. Pfizer, Roche and Merck Serono have all decided to cut back on clinical research there, according to the Financial Times. The problem, companies say, is that too few U.K. patients are receiving cutting-edge drugs like Avasin and Erbitux, making it difficult for experimental therapies to be tested against patients already on those drugs. Just yesterday the U.K.'s National Institute for Clinical Health and Excellence advised against the use of Avastin and Erbitux. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry recently found that, 20 trials at just four companies didn't happen because of difficulty recruiting patients. "In the long-term there is a serious risk that if we get to the point where none of the new drugs are being used in the U.K., the trials won't be done here," said Harpal Kumar, head of Cancer Research UK.
- read the Financial Times article
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By Anonymous | Posted 1:07pm | June 27, 2008
I've lived in the US and Europe and can honestly say health care in the UK is by far the worst. You would be shocked. Those of you living elsewhere should count yourself lucky. Consequently I can't say that I blame big pharma for taking decisions like this.
By idontthinkso | Posted 4:17pm | June 30, 2008
I too have lived in both countries and my work is in the medical field. I disagree - I think Americans are led to believe, that, as with so many other things, health care here is "the best in the world." While some things are turely better, many are not including the ability to diagnose patients illnesses and the waste of money spent on batteries of test to make up for most clinicians inability to judge what is wrong with the patient. With so few people fully insured, how can this be a better system? Only the lucky few get good care.
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