Week in Review: Finding Courage and Inspiration Through Personal Experiences 

05.17.13 By Kaelan Hollon

Within minutes of Angelina Jolie’s New York Times opinion piece going live on her preventative steps against breast cancer, nearly every major news outlet in the world was covering the highly personal story. Ms. Jolie is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, which means she has a high chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer (87% and 50% respectively). Read more

Telling the Complete Story of Physician & Biopharmaceutical Collaboration

05.16.13 | By Jenni Brewer 

It’s always tough reading biased coverage, especially when reporters continue to slam collaboration between physicians and biopharmaceutical companies. I was particularly taken aback by Roni Caryn Rabin’s treatment of the issue in New York Times’ Well blog this week. Read more. 

Why Doctors Prescribe Medicines for Non-Approved Uses 

05.16.13 | By Stephanie Fischer 

A recent article in Scientific American which explains “Why Doctors Prescribe Off-Label Drugs” caught my attention since non-approved use, also known as off-label use, of prescription medicines is often mentioned in the news without the context of why doctors choose to recommend it. Read more. 

National Women's Health Week: Can We "Have It All?"

05.16.13 | By Josie Martin

Can women really “have it all?” It is an age-old question that continues to generate significant societal interest and discussion. From a widely-shared and controversial article last fall in The Atlantic by Princeton University Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter, to a Wall Street Journal poll last month that found the number of women who believe they can “have it all” has increased 12 percent since 1997, society is constantly debating whether women can adequately balance their expectations at work with their expectations at home. Read more. 

I Am Research. Progress. Hope. - The Scientists Speak

05.15.13 | By Michelle Seng

As part of our effort to inspire younger generations to get interested in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields, PhRMA launched a new effort called "I Am Research. Progress. Hope." This initiative gives biopharmaceutical company scientists a platform to tell their own stories of what inspired them to get into science and what advice they have for students as they make decisions about their future career path. Read more. 

Know the Signs of Stroke and Act Quickly

05.15.13 | By Stephanie Fischer

May 15, 2003 came to be known as the Very Bad Day.  It started off like any other, and I remember thinking in the morning that work was quieter than expected.  Several hours later, I was in the ICU while doctors at George Washington University Hospital monitored my vital signs and ran tests to determine what had caused a stoke in a seemingly-healthy 29 year old (who didn’t smoke, use illegal drugs or abuse alcohol).  Read more. 

Week in Review: Communicating for Positive Patient Outcomes

05.10.13 | By Kaelan Hollon

Following our focus on young innovators this week, I’m reminded that ongoing research and innovation significantly improves the lives of patients and contributes to the health of our economy. The pace of innovation is staggering, and with so much information available at our fingertips, ensuring patients are utilizing reliable, accurate sources to make the best decisions for their health can be a challenge. Regular communication is essential.  Read more. 

I Am Research. Progress. Hope

05.10.13 | By Karl Uhlendorf

Nobody better represents the exciting science of our sector than those who are rolling up their sleeves and engaging in innovative biopharmaceutical research every day. As a result, we at PhRMA and our member companies are excited to highlight the stories and lives of some of our inspiring scientists.  Read more. 

Hurricane Season is Coming! 

05.10.13 | By Grady Forrer

Hurricane season is coming. It starts in less than a month.  Now’s the time to get prepared.  Here’s a clip from the Barometer Bob Show on the Weather Radio Broadcast Network. Read more. 

Medicines are a part of the solution

05.10.13 | By Liz Magsig

IMS’ latest report, Declining Medicine Use and Costs: For Better or Worse, reasserts the value that medicines provide in improving patients’ health and saving money on future health care costs. It’s also a great example of how and why the life cycle of medicines works so well. Read more. 

Vendor Profile: The Antibody, The Scientist, and an Adorable Sheep; The Story of Abcam

05.10.13 | By Kaelan Hollon 

Last week I wrote about my experience at the US Chamber’s Small Business Summit, and noted that I would be profiling some smaller businesses who work with pharmaceutical manufacturing companies as vendors.These vendors are enormously important because as we’ve said before, researching and manufacturing medicine doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  Read more. 

Biopharmaceutical Scientists: Paving the Way for the Next Generation

05.08.13 | By John Castellani 

As an industry, we need to do a better job of telling our story – who we are, what we believe in, and why the work we are doing is so important.  Read more. 

Merck Scientist Pioneered the Invention of More Than 40 Vaccines, Saving Millions of Lives 

05.08.13 | By Kaelan Hollon

In the (now famous) picture, a mumps-ridden Jeryl Hilleman screams at the camera while older sister Kristen cautiously holds the baby still enough to endure the prick of a needle held by their father, Merck vaccinologist Dr. Maurice Hilleman. Read more. 

Ongoing Research in Leukemia & Lymphoma

05.07.13 | By Preet Bilinksi 

Blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, can affect anyone, including children. Each year, nearly 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with a blood cancer—accounting for about 9 percent of all new cancer diagnoses according to the American Cancer Society. Read more. 

The PFCD’s Mission – Improved Health, Lower Health Care Costs

05.07.13 | By Jeff Trewhitt

In a blog a couple of weeks ago, I summarized the many anti-chronic disease efforts PhRMA supports and explained why we’ve made those commitments.  High on the list of programs we back is the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) and a recent statement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains why. Read more.