Reem Emirates Aluminum has won this contract mainly due to their extensive experience in house design capability. Their methodology supports bulk typical panel manufacturing with large volumes.

General Manager Reem Emirates Aluminum, Derek Bruce said, “REA has been created to fill a niche market by providing one off customized designs for high spec, high end façade projects. He also said that REA was awarded the curtain wall packages due to its ability to provide customized solutions and commitment to the program of works. Under this contract, we will be doing the curtain-walling of the 14 towers which are located in different blocks on the plot 1 of Reem Island.”

REA’s expansion programme includes a state-of-the-art glass processing facility adjoining the factory by the end of this year. They also plan to research and test the first intelligent façade including a double skin ventilated curtain wall, integration with HVAC, BMS, chilled flooring and ceilings and LED lighting. They are currently testing these features in their factory and want to prove conclusively that it is possible to reduce energy consumption in a building by 40%.

BMS have published a series of Non-Apamin Displacing 4-(Aminomethylaryl)pyrrazolopyrimidine K_Ca Channel Blockers

A short survey was conducted to understand the general mindset of common citizens in Bangalore towards Global Warming and related climate change issues. A couple of interviews were conducted to gather information on the general public’s view on the issues of global warming and human responsibilities towards climate change, business development and government control. Information was also collected from other sources like the internet, books, magazines etc.

It was observed that people have a general awareness on the subject but are still confused on the where the responsibility lies and how they could make a change. But they definitely feel with the help of government and individual responsibility they can make a difference.

The following are excerpts from two interviews taken.

1. Are you concerned about global warming and the related environmental issues?
CITIZEN 1: Yes, I am very concerned, it worries me tremendously, but unfortunately I feel I can't do anything about it.

CITIZEN 2: I am concerned only about air pollution and noise pollution. It really affects me especially when on my way to office with all the heavy traffic. But I don't think any drastic climate changes will take place.

2. Who do you think should take responsibility for the current situation?

CITIZEN 1: I feel it is the collective responsibility of the whole of human civilization to recognize the monstrosity of the problem at hand. We should for curb all the pollution, try to use cleaner alternatives and check our current habits.

CITIZEN 2: I feel we can make a difference, but the government has to streamline things and take responsibility because they have things under control.

From the interviews it can be judged that the general public is aware of the concept of global warming and the possible reasons for climatic change. There is yet not a mentionable clarity among the public on the responsibilities of the government, citizens etc. and their contributions to the ongoing climatic change.

The city of Bangalore has hosted a few conferences that have specifically targeted the issues of climatic change and human responsibilities. These conferences are definitely an indicator of the fact that people are participating in climatic change related discussions.

For example the 'Bangalore City Dialogue on Climate Change' which took place on 14th September 2007, at the 'Auditorium, Indian Institute Of Astrophysics' Koramangala, Bangalore, was one such Initiative of 'Centre for Social Markets (CSM)' in their endeavour to create awareness about causes and effects of climate changes and instigate action amongst India's masses at all levels, to contributing some concrete visible results. This event was supported by distinguished experts from fields as varied as: Industrial Ecology – Ramesh Ramaswamy, Pollution Control – Dr Sharatchandra H C, Theatre – Arundhati Nag, Youth Organizations – Pradeep Sebastian, and also an Art Historian – Dr Annapurna Garimella, and co-ordinated with easy expertise by Malini Mehra the founder of CSM. It uncovered ways on how such seemingly unrelated fields could be used to control and remedy factors impacting climate changes.

Companies could use these climate debates to their advantage to innovate and create things of greater value and formulate energy efficient systems using alternative energy sources like solar, wind, etc., which would control green gas emissions. The process would meet their own energy needs as also those of India's masses specially the poor while simultaneously creating new markets and providing for more employment opportunities.

An interview was conducted to understand the opinions of an expert on various issues like global climate change, governmental control, business development and the related interlinked topics. The following is the interview we had with our expert, Mrs Padma who is an expert in the field of Waste Management. She is a part of an organization named SAAHAS. Saahas is a Bangalore based voluntary organization committed to finding solutions to problems related to solid waste management in the city. Saahas also works with corporates on waste management. Over the last two years, Saahas has worked closely with the Hazardous Waste Management Program, Karnataka (HAWA) to study the various issues related to generation of e-waste as also its flow, recycling and final disposal. Saahas is working in partnership with WeP Peripherals and E-Parisara. They have setup the first ever city wide collection programme for household e-waste like batteries, CDs & floppies. This has been implemented at over 20 institutions already.

1. Do you think that the government should be paying part of the rising fuel price, or the government should be using the same money on new energy alternative research?

EXPERT: I will answer the first part of your question as I think that is best answered by economists and the like. However, whether there should be sufficient spending on research to find alternative energy, I think the answer to that is yes. We do need to spend money on research to find efficiency in harnessing solar energy especially in the light of the fact that India has an abundance of it. We need to ensure that we make effective use of it. The use of renewable energy resources is one of the ways to cut down the Green House Gases and transform economies from high to low carbon ones. Renewable energy sources, such as solar power, wind energy and bio-fuels which currently accounts for a small percentage of India’s energy baskets are likely to meet no more than 2-3 percent of India’s need by 2012. Both nations should increase the share of a cleaner form of energy vis-à-vis fossil fuels steadily for the sake of their long term economic sustainability.

2. Do you think that the solution for global warming is possible in economic measures, or do we need a cultural change in our lifestyles to face the new reality in world energetic platform?

EXPERT: Yes, economic measures can be a solution for global warming. This can be seen in the number of business enterprises entering the field of waste management. It is being seen as a lucrative enterprise. An example of this would be E-Parisaraa which is an e-waste recycling facility. However, this does not preclude the need for a shift in lifestyles. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. These are the 3 R’s that we need to practice. While businesses in waste management may be taking care of Reuse and Recycle, there has to be a shift in lifestyles to include “reduce”. We must reduce the waste generated first before we can think of reuse and recycle.

From this pyramid structure it is very easy to understand the steps involved in waste minimisation and management. This waste could be biodegradable or non-biodegradable waste, emissions, etc. It also highlights the fact that “prevention is better than cure”.

3. How do you think the governmental policies can create a balance between business development and environmental protection in the Indian scenario?

EXPERT: I don’t see why business development and environment protection are seen as either/or situations. Business development should include the protection of the environment in which it works. Businesses should take care of its employees, its shareholders, other stakeholders as well as the society and environment in which it operates. Companies and Organisations have something called a bottom line and top line. Top line includes "turnover" of the company. Bottom line is basically "profit". Earlier companies associated only profit with bottom line. But then they started to think that they as an organisation have some responsibility towards the society and most recently even environment. So now companies have "Triple Bottom Line" This includes concern towards "PROFIT PEOPLE and PLANET".
Another very important aspect is Sustainable development. It has been defined as balancing the fulfilment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future. The term was used by the Brundtland Commission which coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
The field of sustainable development can be conceptually divided into four general dimensions: social, economic, environmental and institutional. The first three dimensions address key principles of sustainability, while the final dimension addresses key institutional policy and capacity issues.
The following Venn diagram is self explanatory as to how Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainable Development can bring about a wholesome development in our societies.

Given how serious the consequences of global warming could be it is desired that there be a concern towards global warming within the education systems of all nations. All though the concepts of global warming and its effects are touched upon in the Indian Education system it is a fact that a career in Environmental Sciences does not attract the kind of talent in India as do careers in Engineering, Medicine or Finance.

In general as a citizen of India and as a student one cannot feel any urgency in the educational institutions to deal with the issue of Global warming. It is a subject that exists and everyone is aware of but nothing really is happening on the ground or practically nothing significant is being done about it. There does not exist for instance a drive to create a long term plan to deal with global warming among most universities in India.

The following is an interview of a professor from an engineering college in Bangalore:

1. Are you concerned about global warming and the related environmental issues?

Ans: Yes, we are concerned about global warming and related environmental issues. It may not affect use in the shorter run at the place we practice, but in the longer run, it will affect us in some way or the other unless we are careful about mother earth.

2. Who do you think should take responsibility for the current situation?

Ans: The people are the contributors (everybody I mean) so they are themselves accountable.

3. How can the youth/students be made more responsible about their environment?

Ans: Education, practical application and of course strict penalties in case of violation, because they are the ones who are going to live here along with all the issues.

Dr. H.S. JAGADEESH
PROFESSOR,
Department of Transportation Engg.
BMS College of Engineering

Another interesting view that people in India have about global warming is that a developing country like India should not have to restrict its growth because we have “bigger” issues like poverty to deal with as compared to Global warming. Although not everyone shares this view it is still a significant point to be considered.
In general it can be concluded that there does not exist any significant push from the Indian educators or the Indian education system to face and deal with the challenges of global warming. This could be a concern but the impact it could have cannot yet be predicted accurately.

India is a developing country that currently witnessing a boom in the economy. This boom is especially seen in the sectors that require extensive amounts of energy.

Taking for example the success story of the IT industry in India concentrate in Bangalore, this industry has boomed so much that there has been a tremendous change in the city of Bangalore and its dynamics. Traffic has multiplied; fuel requirements have increased, electricity requirements have multiplied etc.

For a developing country like India, when an industry shines with success it has invariable gone through a lot of obstacles and has reached a state where the people look up to the industry with a lot of expectations and also pride. This emotion of the citizens of India can be seen clearly with the software industry. Even now the industries in India face a lot of obstacles, some of these are traditional obstacles and some are more modern problems that the industries are facing. Global warming and its associated issues fall in the category of recent obstacles.

An important factor to consider while studying how businesses react to an environmental issue that in a developing country like India when an industry booms there is a lot of encouragement from all sides and a lot of expectation for the industry to continue growing. Sometimes so much that environmental issues could be overlooked in safeguarding the interests of the industry that has brought a lot of prosperity, jobs and wealth to many citizens.

The following is a snippet of an interview of a local businessman:

1. Are you concerned about global warming and the related environmental issues?
Ans: Yes I am concerned about human activities that are harming the environment. There is a fine balance in nature and we must all be scared of our activities that tend to cause an imbalance.

2. Who do you think should take responsibility for the current situation?
Ans: The whole of mankind has to take responsibility for what is happening currently.

3. How is global warming affecting your business or how are the counter measures affecting your business?
Ans: The only direct impact could be through fuel prices that are going up maybe to reduce emissions. These prices of course decrease our profits. Industries can help the environment by choosing projects that deal with the environment for their CSR programs.

Our products are among the finest manufactured in the world, as well as some being produced inside our warehouse.

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The Xa factor: not looking so promising for Pfizer and Bristol - Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer's apixaban blood clot preventer raised rates of bleeding in a 6-month study but showed some encouraging signs of protecting at-risk heart patients, researchers said on Tuesday. Apixaban, which works through a new mechanism of action by blocking a protein called Factor Xa, suffered a setback last week when it failed its primary goal in a late-stage trial for preventing clots after orthopaedic surgery...more A little more promising for Daiichi Sankyo, however. 9/2

This potential advance on a drug to treat Hepatitis-C is quite interesting...especially if you really like medical-technical terms! 9/1

Sciele bought by Japanese pharma company: Shionogi & Co plans to buy U.S.-based Sciele Pharma Inc for $1.1 billion, the fourth big overseas deals in nine months by Japanese drug makers eager to expand overseas...more 9/1

Prasugrel (investigational anti-clotting drug) shows strong results in diabetic patients - Patients who were diabetic and diagnosed with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) were 40 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack if they were treated with prasugrel vs. clopidogrel...more 8/31

Crestor a no-go on heart failure - AstraZeneca Plc's cholesterol drug Crestor has failed in a second clinical trial for heart failure, suggesting such statin medicines don't improve survival in patients with the chronic condition...more 8/31

Glaxo does not score with preemption ruling in suicide case. I'm sure the lawyers are loving this. 8/30

A little fun - The Top 10 Weirdest Pharma Stories of the Month. 8/30

Anti-psychotics may double stroke risk - People taking antipsychotic drugs are nearly twice as likely to have a stroke compared to those not on the treatment, British researchers reported on Friday...more 8/29

A swipe at glitazones for diabetes treatment (from PharmaGossip) 8/29

Good news from Teva on Parkinson's treatment: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. said its Azilect pill is the first to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in new findings that may increase sales of the medicine to more than $1 billion...more 8/28

A few baby steps into social media by pharma companies. 8/28

Stroke prevention with drug combos: maybe not so much - Two studies released on Wednesday call into question the advantage of using a blood pressure medicine and a well-known blood thinner for preventing the recurrence of a stroke...more 8/28

UCB brings out a heavy axe - The Belgian drugmaker that bought Schwarz Pharma is cutting 2,000 jobs, or 17 percent of its staff, to spur profits and lower administrative costs. The move is part of an effort to redirect $444 million into research on meds for immunology and the central nervous system...more 8/28

Amgen getting rid of "bundling sales" practice (it's about time) - the company is getting rid of “bundling” — giving docs discounts on other Amgen drugs based on how much of their anemia-drug business consisted of Amgen’s Aranesp...more 8/28

Cell Genesys plunges after troubling trial results...but - Recent news of high fatalies during one its drug trials has weighed on Cell Genesys' stock price, but the company may be able to overcome the blow

if data from a different study helps it gain FDA approval...more 8/28

Replidyne plunging downhill fast - Drug developer Replidyne Inc said it will restructure its operations, reduce its headcount by about 80 percent to 5 employees and take a charge of $3.1 million...more 8/28

From Forbes: Vytorin - efficacy questions still nipping at the heels. And, the cancer scare. 8/28

More bad pancreatitis news with Byetta. 8/27

An interesting analysis of Abbott's strengths and weaknesses moving forward. 8/27

Lilly's Cymbalta: a Swiss army knife drug with too many indications? 8/27

BMS/Pfizer new blood clotting drug not flowing smoothly - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday their apixaban blood clot preventer failed its primary goal in a late-stage trial, and that they no longer plan to seek marketing approval next year for the pill...more 8/27

Scrips and trips - pharmas paying out big for "medical education" junkets 8/25

So now we have the Ambien rooster?? 8/25

Amgen gets drug approval from FDA - Amgen Inc drug Nplate is safe and effective for treating a rare clotting disorder that can cause dangerous bleeding, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday in approving the product for U.S. sales...more 8/25

King making bid for Alpharma - The unsolicited cash bid is a move to create a bigger specialty drugmaker and expand a nascent effor to develop meds for treating pain. The offer is $33 per share amounts to a 37 percent premium over the $24.04 closing price of Alpharma’s common stock yesterday. King actually first made the offer to Alpharma in a letter on Aug. 4 and said the offering represents a 49 percent premium, based on the share price that day...more 8/22

After all that battering in the press, a positive spin on HRT - Hormone replacement therapy can improve the quality of a woman's life, easing the distress of hot flashes, sleep disturbances and restoring lost sexual functioning, researchers reported on Thursday...more 8/22

A promising experimental cystic fibrosis drug (PTC Therapeutics) 8/22

Abbott Diagnostics planning big cuts - Abbott Laboratories Inc  said on Thursday it would eliminate about 1,000 jobs over the next four years as part of a plan to streamline operations and cut costs in its medical diagnostics business...more 8/22

Genentech employees getting restless about potential Roche takeover: recruiters circling, retention bonuses adding up -Aside from announcing that Genentech is not settling for Roche's $44 billion offer because it "substantially undervalues the company," the San Francisco-based biotech made it known that if would be implementing an employee-retention program to help its people make sense of the Roche deal... more 8/22

Gilead Sciences - growing! 8/22

J&J's Doribax for pneumonia: more info, please. 8/21

Buying out biotechs - A buyout bull's-eye will likely remain on biotechnology companies over the next few years as major pharmaceutical companies continue taking advantage of a weak dollar and a surplus of cash to buy pipeline additions....more 8/21

Wyeth, Elan, and Alzheimer's: is this experimental drug worth the pursuit? - In what is becoming a sadly common ritual, Wyeth and Elan are pressing forward with an expensive, large-scale “phase III” trial of a risky drug based on wishful thinking and shoddy statistical analysis...more 8/21

Expensive cost cutting at Sepracor. 8/21

Gardasil - not worth the cost? - That’s the conclusion of a new study that is going to make life much harder for Merck to wring needed sales out of its controversial HPV vaccine. The study, which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine, comes as the drugmaker is already struggling to convince college-age and older women to get the vaccine, which costs about $360 for a three-dose regimen....more 8/21

Might daily Cialis help with symptoms of enlarged prostate? 8/20

Just came across this BNET Industries site which consolidates Pharma news. Looks pretty good! 8/20

Feel like debating a single-payer (government-run) healthcare system? Here's a lively debate, from the WSJ Health blog (see the comments). 8/20

Roche, Accutane, and IBD - is there any link? 8/20

Clinical trials: cancer gets the lion's share - Most registered trials were in oncology, followed by central nervous system disorders, cardiology, infectious diseases, endocrinology, and respiratory diseases. These six therapeutic areas accounted for 68 percent of 3,515l protocols...more 8/20

BMS and PDL go after MML - Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and PDL BioPharma, Inc.  today announced an agreement for the global development and commercialization of PDL BioPharma’s anti-CS1 antibody, elotuzumab, previously known as HuLuc63, currently in Phase I development for multiple myeloma...more 8/19

Vytorin prescriptions: hitting bottom? 8/19

My pipeline's bigger than your pipeline - who's got the goods to be able to claim it? You might be surprised... 8/18

Warning on deaths associated with Byetta - The FDA is working on a stronger label for the widely used diabetes drug, which is marketed by Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals after deaths continue to be reported despite earlier government warnings. Six new new reports were received of patients developing a dangerous form of pancreatitis while taking Byetta... more 8/18 But, fair balance 8/20

Jersey jobs walking out - Layoffs and restructurings are taking a toll on drug and device makers in New Jersey, which for decades has prided itself on being home to many of the world’s biggest such companies...more 8/18

Was a key Vioxx study less than scientifically stellar? - A 1999 Merck study of Vioxx, which was touted to participating doctors and patients as easier to stomach than another drug, was primarily a stealth marketing strategy, according to a report to be published this week in The Annals of Internal Medicine...more 8/18

Do "charming" sales reps earn more? (from John Mack's Pharma Marketing blog). And, in a similar vein: D'uh! 8/18

What's Next? Ban Free Drug Samples? (from John Mack's Pharma Marketing blog). 8/18

Which presidential candidate has received more donations from pharma execs? By a factor of three? 8/18

Abbott to co-promote Crestor - Seeking to increase its share of voice without beefing up its sales force, AstraZeneca is partnering with Abbott on a co-promotion of Crestor in the US...more 8/14

New antibody drug helps nail blood cancer - A new kind of antibody drug that makes the body's own "killer" cells fight tumors has produced promising early-stage results in patients with a deadly form of blood cancer, researchers said on Thursday...more 8/14

Genentech to Roche: No thanks, but maybe. 8/13

MS drug may work against viral infection - A drug that Novartis AG is testing in people with multiple sclerosis also has the potential to treat certain viral infections, perhaps including the AIDS virus, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday....more 8/13

FDA extends review of Centocor drug - Centocor, Inc., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasextended the review timeline for the Biologic License Application for ustekinumab, a subcutaneous biologic therapy, by three months to December 2008. The application, filed by Centocor late in 2007, seeks approval to market ustekinumab for the treatment of adult patients with chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis...more 8/8

It's a slow year so far for FDA drug approvals 8/8

Go ahead, Massachusetts...make my day - This morning, five trade groups representing drugmakers and biotechs took out a full-page ad in The Boston Globe arguing the bill will “significantly curtail, if not end altogether, the availability of these last hope clinical trials in Massachusetts....more 8/7

Kidney cancer drugs too costly? Yes, says UK - Is extending life by a few months worth $50,000? No, says the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. In a report out today, the group concluded that several new drugs for advanced kidney cancer aren’t cost-effective...more 8/7

King Pharma income takes a plunge. And some other question marks about an upcoming pain treatment here. 8/7

Rituxan may help a kidney disease - The cancer drug rituximab can help heal the kidneys of patients with a common condition known as membranous nephropathy, Italian researchers reported on Wednesday...more 8/6

Eat your broccoli! 8/6

Artificial blood producing genuine problems. A recent meta-analysis of trials on several substitutes — including Hemopure — contains some gory results. Turns out, the fake bloods scavenge nitric oxide, causing vasoconstriction; patients who get them are 2.7 times more likely to have a heart attack and 30 percent more likely to die... 8/6

Abbott dips into podcasting (for Chrohn's patients). 8/6

Live long and prosper, with Byetta? - Can Byetta, an injectable drug that lowers blood sugar, really help people with diabetes to live longer? Possibly, according to the results of a major clinical trial presented at the American Diabetes Association annual conference...more 8/6

Which pharma company will be biggest in 2014? The projections might surprise you... 8/6

FDA to advertise fake blood pressure pill - OK, that's weird... 8/5

Maybe sleep meds not so great - In its latest bid to track prescription drug use, Consumer Reports conducted a survey last spring of 1,466 Americans who took sleeping pills and found that nearly half have difficulties. Consquently, many are turning to prescription meds with what CR calls “frightening results.” Here they are…more 8/5

Rutgers unveils mini-MBA program for pharma professionals. 8/5

Feel-good story about Sinemet helping a young boy who has Parkinson's. 8/5

SGP entangled with a whistleblower mess (inherited from Organon) - Last month, Schering-Plough’s lawyers filed a motion in federal court in New Jersey arguing that a former medical director at Organon, which the drugmaker recently paid $14.3 billion to acquire, wasn’t qualified to bring a whistleblower lawsuit alleging Organon covered-up serious side effects prior to launching two drugs several years ago...more 8/5

The Medicines Company gets approval for cleviprex - The Medicines Company announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the intravenous (IV) therapy Cleviprex^TM (clevidipine butyrate) injectable emulsion for the reduction of blood pressure when oral therapy is not feasible or not desirable...more 8/4

Careful about giving cold meds to babies - Yet another study raises questions about the dangers of giving cough and cold meds to babies. A “surprising” number of small children taken to emergency rooms after they stop breathing or lose consciousness have OTC meds in their systems, USA Today writes, citing the study in Pediatrics...more 8/4

Beware of Mass. reps bearing gifts - When Massachusetts' House of Representatives approved a big healthcare bill last month, drug and device makers and data firms thought they'd ducked several bullets, but the final bill, passed by both houses last night, includes a few nasty surprises for industry – including a code of conduct for drug marketers, an academic detailing program and stringent reporting requirements for payments to physicians...more 8/4

GSK cutting down oncology personnel - The ax is falling again at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). This time it’s the oncology group... more 8/4

Who might be next in the pharma takeover phrenzy? 8/4

A doctor's balanced perspective on the recent Vytorin kerfuffle. 8/4

Schering announces encouraging results for experimental Hep-C drug - Schering-Plough Corp  said on Monday that interim results from a mid-stage study of its experimental hepatitis C drug showed promising results, sending shares of rival Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc down more than 10 percent in early trading...more 8/4

Novartis get two big approvals for HPB combo pills - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two single-pill combination medications, Diovan HCT® (valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide) and Exforge® (amlodipine and valsartan), as initial or 'first-line' therapies in patients likely to need multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals...more 8/4

Good news on statins and memory loss - People at high risk for dementia who took cholesterol-lowering statins are half as likely to develop dementia as those who do not take statins, a new study shows...more 8/4

New/old cancer treatment: methadone effective against leukemia! - "Methadone kills sensitive leukemia cells and also breaks treatment resistance, but without any toxic effects on non-leukemic blood cells..."more 8/4

Backing away from CME - Trying to steer clear of potential conflicts of interest, two medical industry giants are distancing themselves from a little-known breed of marketing specialists. The recent steps by the drugmaker Pfizer (PFE) and Zimmer Holdings (ZMH), a medical device manufacturer, illuminate subtle promotional tactics other companies continue to aim at doctors, despite mounting concern on the part of some physicians and ethicists...more 8/4

Its evident by now that i love the national language. This love really causes me to lose my temper at times, when people around me, Indians, having lived their entire lives in this very country, face a problem when reading, writing and worse speaking in Hindi. I used to get really pissed off by the student in my Junior College who used to read out Hindi as if they are reading Greek. Their accents would further irritate the hell outta me. On top of that, some people came from the school of thought that, talking Hindi as if you know nothing about the language, is the epitome of COOL. I felt pity at such morons. To feel embarassed to speak your national language, theres nothing more unnerving. Its not that these people did not know Hindi. They just never made the effort to improve on it.

Just today while i was watching TV, my brother gave me a pen and paper, and asked me to write in the Devanagri script the names of some of his friends, so that they could fill up their exam forms, which requires them to fill in their complete names in the Devanagri script. Now he is in the Final year of his BMS course and well versed in Hindi, so are the rest of the friends of his gang. But they cant bloody write their own names in the National Language?!? That was not only shocking, but unthinkable. I mean thats the first thing anyone, who's learning a new language will want to know. To be able to write his own name in that language.

"I havent been in touch with written Hindi since the last 3 years, how do you expect me and my friends to recall all the alphabets in that case?", was his argument. Well I just replied back that i have been outta sync with written hindi since my 12th too, its 6 years since that. But i do remember all the alphabets, and effortlessly write Hindi. How can one just forget a script that one has been in touch with for a good decade? Pathetic was the only word that came to my mind. To think that these very guys are going to become future managers, and they cant write their own names in Hindi. Atrocious!

Take Care

Ciao

Schering gets a surprise FDA thumbs down.

BMS looking to buy up the rest of ImClone.

BMS: more jobs on the chopping block. Will BMS be an acquisition target?

OK, you don't hear about this every day - A contractor for Novartis was charged with running a prostitution ring from his desk at the drugmaker in suburban New Jersey...more

Sales rep access limits identified - Pharma sales reps that want to see a doctor might want to take a less-is-more approach—and by less, we mean fewer doctors. It turns out that the more physicians a practice has on staff, the more likely a rep will get denied access...more (from Pharma Exec)

Viagra for tumors, depressed women? - Viagra, a popular anti-impotence pill, may help some women on antidepressants have better sex, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday...more Impotence drugs may help carry cancer-fighting drugs through the brain to treat malignant tumors, U.S. researchers reported on Monday...more

Encouraging liver cancer results for Nexavar - Bayer HealthCare AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that The New England Journal of Medicine published landmark results of a Nexavar study in liver cancer. The data of the Phase III trial showed that Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets decreased the absolute risk of death by 31 percent in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, versus patients who received placebo. This represents a 44 percent improvement in median overall survival for patients treated with Nexavar...more

Zyprexa and freedom of non-speech.

Elan, Wyeth, and others - not the greatest progress on Alzheimer's treatments.

Tysabri: the return of brain infections. More here.

Congress wants Vytorin/cancer data - The House Energy and Commerce Committee wants the FDA to turn over the results of an analysis looking into the potential links between Vytorin and cancer...more

Tax money for counter-detailing? - In an effort to dilute the impact of sales reps, several Senators and Congressmen today are introducing a bill that would create funding for a program to send trained pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professionals into a doctor’s office with independent data about benefits, risks, costs, and comparative effectiveness of prescription drugs, including generics...more

Big Pharma stocks - safe haven no more.

The price of malpractice. This is kinda scary.

Quelle ne fut pas notre surprise lorsque nos premiers clients furent HEINZ, WRANGLER, UNILEVER, BMS UPSA… bref, des grands groupes internationaux habitués de longue date à communiquer en télévision! Ce qui ne nous a pas empêché de séduire en même temps nombre de PME, comme nous l’avions anticipé… Ceci nous a permis de comprendre une chose fondamentale : ce n’est pas une question de taille d’entreprise ou de taille de budget, mais une question de vision des choses! Les annonceurs qui sont exaspérés par les pratiques tarifaires exhorbitantes des agences de pub et des agences médias traditionnelles “HIGH COST” se comptent autant dans les grands groupes que dans les petites entreprises ! Or, aujourd’hui, toutes les entreprises sans exception, sont à la recherche de moyens de réduire leurs coûts marketing et publicitaires. Le COST KILLING est à la mode, pas le choix, quand tout augmente, quand les coûts des matières premières grèvent les comptes d’exploitation des marques, quand les distributeurs refusent de les répercuter, il faut bien trouver des solutions…

TVLowCost Grand Est apparaît dès lors comme une excellente alternative aux agences classiques incapables de s’adapter aux contraintes des annonceurs!

Heart trials for diabetes medicines? - The agency wants its Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee to decide whether clinical trials to evaluate cardiovascular risks should be undertaken before the meds are approved or after marketing begins and the drugs are used by the population at large...more

Paxil and pregnancies - Much of the hoopla one reads about the controversial antidepressant concerns the risk of suicide and the extent to which the drugmaker disclosed - or did not disclose - meaningful clinical trial data...more

Doctors under the Influence?

Breathing easier at Merck and Schering? - Could it be? Are they getting a divorce over Vytorin? No, sorry to excite you. But the drugmakers are ending their respiratory joint venture and their eight-year effort to market a combination of their Claritin and Singulair medications, which are used to treat allergic rhinitis...more

Analyst takes up news space with BMS conjecture - The drugmaker looks increasingly attractive and a sale is a “distinct possibility,” according to Tim Anderson, a pharma analyst at Sanford Bernstein...more

Pharma's sinking reputation - The latest Harris Interactive poll that examines American attitudes toward corporate America offers a sobering view of and for the pharmaceutical industry. Only 26 percent of Americans view the industry favorably...more

Can't make this stuff up - A drug developed using nanotechnology and a fungus that contaminated a lab experiment may be broadly effective against a range of cancers, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday...more

Sweet home Alabama - A state court jury decided the two drugmakers defrauded Alabama in a long-running Medicaid drug pricing scheme and ordered them to pay more than $114 million in damages, the Associated Press reports...more

Pfizer rocking the CME funding world - In what may be a first, a drugmaker will still support continuing medical education courses at academic institutions, teaching hospitals and those supported by medical societies, but no longer directly support CME courses offered by for-profit medical-education and communication companies, Dow Jones reports...more

Xience (drug-eluting stent from Abbott) gets approval.

They do pass laws in D.C., after all - Earlier this year, the city became the first in the country to license sales reps, whose licenses can be revoked if their activities are deemed fraudulent. The bill was passed in hopes of enforcing good business practices on people who have undue influence over docs, and therefore patients...more