In this issue of PharmaTimes, we kickstart our coverage of three topics that we think will dominate debate in the year to come.
In Reputation Critical, we dip a toe into the murky waters of our industry's reputation, asking what companies - and the ABPI - need to do to demonstrate and communicate the value of pharma to our important audiences.
February 29 is Rare Disease Day, the once-a-year opportunity to raise awareness of the 30 million people in Europe alone whose lives are directly affected by one of more than 7,000 rare diseases. In Rare Opportunity, we ask why companies are getting involved in this area and what challenges they face in developing treatments for small patient populations.
Patient-centricity has been a driving force inside pharma companies for some time but 2016 seems to be the year that everyone wants to talk about it. In Listen up!, we speak to senior executives from three pharma companies to find out what putting the patient at the centre means to them.
Our disease focus in this issue of PharmaTimes is a condition with no cure, globally rising incidence and devastating effects - Alzheimer's disease. In Changing minds, we shine a light on some of the most promising new disease-modifying treatments and discuss the number one issue in dementia care - the need for better and earlier diagnosis. We also offer up a patient perspective on living with the disease in Patient Files.
Hugh Gosling, Editor
In a few weeks' time, the eyeforpharma conference will focus on one of the most talked-about issues of the past 12 months – patient-centricity. PharmaTimes spoke to three keynote speakers to find out what putting the patient at the centre means to them and their companies
Pharma is harnessing the power of fictional films to raise disease awareness and tell patient stories
Disease-modifying dementia drugs will require early diagnosis to be truly effective – but that's not as easy as it might seem
Although the rise in disease survival rates are good news for patients, the resulting strain on pharma and healthcare shouldn't be overlooked
Innovation hubs across the UK are bringing together life-science stakeholders to light the fuse on innovation
As clinical trials grow ever more complex, there are steps companies can take to keep their studies on track and on target
In an era of ever-greater transparency and customer demand, what does the pharma industry need to do to boost its reputation?
Next year could see the launch of a Unified Patent Court across Europe, with wide-reaching implications for how drug patents are granted. But there are still a lot of unknowns pharma needs to watch out for
With South America's Zika outbreak declared a health emergency, the Medical Research Council's Dr Jonathan Pearce explains how pharma, healthcare and governments can prepare for disease crises and tackle them quickly
Anker Lundemose, the CEO of MISSION Therapeutics, talks about securing funding and working on the relatively unexplored area of DUBs – enzymes that could be important for treating diseases from cancer to Parkinson's
Greater understanding, openness and awareness would make living with dementia easier, says Wendy Mitchell, who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease at 58 years old and now writes a blog to help back-up her memory
