Medicines impact the lives of millions of people and strengthen their well-being, but there are risks involved in their use. Scientists agree that risk assessment during drug development should be carried out rigorously, but identifying safety concerns during clinical trials is complex. Pharmacovigilance is a field of science dedicated to the understanding and prevention of the adverse effects of medicines.

A study by healthcare market research firm Manhattan Research found that only 9% of U.S. physicians oppose commercial support for continuing medical education (CME) funding. The results of this study are relevant to the ongoing discussion in the medical community about the role of commercial funding of CME.

Manhattan Research, a global healthcare and pharmaceutical market research company, today announced the release of Taking the Pulse® Europe v8.0, its European physician study and strategic advisory service. It offers in-depth market data and analysis of how physicians across Western Europe integrate the Internet and technology into their practises. Taking the Pulse® Europe also looks at key trends in pharma company/sales rep interactions and electronic detailing.

Manhattan Research, a global pharmaceutical and healthcare market research company, releases its latest physician analysis titled "Physician Online Communities: Physician Social Networking and the New Online Opinion Leaders" as part of the Taking the Pulse® physician market research and strategic advisory service.

Scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum München have developed a breakthrough methodology for understanding metabolism related variations from experimental genomics data. Using proposed bioinformatics strategy they were able to demonstrate that in most cases identified disease-specific metabolism variations are not independent, e.g. deregulated genes from different pathways are linked to each other via one or two step of consecutive metabolic reactions.

The new year was ushered in amidst economic uncertainties and the impending inauguration of a new administration - the effects of which have great implications for the pharmaceutical industry. Brand managers especially will feel the heat as marketing spend and measurement is increasingly scrutinized. But despite the doom and gloom in predictions for the year ahead, physicians and patients will continue to use healthcare products and services and companies still need to find ways to effectively reach their target audiences.

EU-funded researchers have uncovered some of the complex molecular mechanisms that drive the growth of neuroblastoma, a type of cancer found in very young children. The scientists hope that their findings, published in the journal Cancer Cell, will lead to the development of new therapies to treat this often aggressive and unpredictable disease.