[Updated on July 18] The pharma industry has shed a significant number of jobs in 2023. Among the companies announcing cuts earlier this year,  Bristol Myers Squibb laid off 48 workers in Princeton, New Jersey. Other companies making cuts include Takeda, cutting more than 180 jobs, and Novavax, letting go of one-quarter of its workforce.…

Given the recent surge in interest in generative AI, it’s no wonder that consultancies like McKinsey are making hay of the situation. The consultancy recently argued that “Rewired pharma companies will win in the digital age.” In a separate feature, it noted that generative AI could boost biopharma R&D productivity by billions, as we reported…

Unveiling Sanofi’s AI-powered pharma strategy, the French pharma giant announced its plans to tap AI for insights across the company. With “plai,” an internal app, AI could provide real-time data supporting decision-making. Sanofi’s goal, as CEO Paul Hudson stated in a news release, is to become the first pharma company powered by AI at scale,…

Virginia is emerging as a hotspot for pharmaceutical manufacturing, attracting a growing number of industry players. The privately-held pharma manufacturing organizations Civica and Phlow have a presence in the state, as do Big Pharma heavyweight Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) and AMPAC Fine Chemicals (NYSE:AMPA). The latter company produces active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates for the…

The pharma industry is in the process of moving toward ambient water for injection (WFI). Despite changes to regulations almost five years ago that allowed for alternative methods of generating WFI, the industry has been slow to fully embrace the shift away from traditional distillation despite the significant advantages of membrane-based WFI generation. For companies…

Millions of U.S. patients are facing medication shortages, according to recent FDA data. The Adderall drug shortage in particular has received significant attention in recent months. Other notable drugs currently facing shortages include the bronchodilator Albuterol and the popular antibiotics amoxicillin and azithromycin. The pandemic and supply chain challenges are partly to blame for the…

The pharmaceutical industry’s reputation has slid over the past year, according to recent research from reputation data specialist RepTrak (Boston). This year, the sector had a reputation score of 71.3, placing it below the tobacco and transportation sectors but ahead of the retail and consumer services industries. “With opinions conflicting on the COVID-19 vaccine, and…

Now that we have passed the year’s midway mark, pharma continues to be in a unique position. While COVID-19 gave the industry an opportunity for a reputational reset in 2020, the pandemic is now a net positive for the industry, according to the recent Moody’s report, “Solid demand, lift from COVID-19 products continue to drive…

While President Trump continues to refuse to concede the election, a growing number of business associations and politicians have acknowledged Biden as the president-elect. What a Biden presidency would mean for the pharmaceutical industry continues to be an open question as the Senate outcome remains undecided, but two broadly similar outcomes are likely. Ultimately, neither…