PurposeDisruptions and shortages of drugs have become severe problems in recent years, which has triggered strong media and public interest in the topic. However, little is known about the factors ...that can be associated with the increased frequency of shortages. In this paper, the authors analyze the drivers of drug shortages using empirical data for Germany, the fourth largest pharmaceutical market.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a dataset provided by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte BfArM) with 425 reported shortages for drug substances (DSs) in the 24-month period between May 2017 and April 2019 and enrich the data with information from additional sources. Using logistic and negative binomial regression models, the authors analyze the impact of (1) market characteristics, (2) drug substance characteristics and (3) regulatory characteristics on the likelihood of a shortage.FindingsThe authors find that factors like market concentration, patent situation, manufacturing processes or dosage form are significantly associated with the odds of a shortage. The authors discuss the implications of these findings to reduce the frequency and severity of shortages.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the empirical research on drug shortages by analyzing the impact of market characteristics, DS characteristics and regulatory characteristics on the reported shortages. The authors’ analysis provides a starting point for better prioritizing efforts to strengthen drug supply as it is currently intensely discussed healthcare authorities.
Since the cloning of the histamine H(3) receptor cDNA in 1999 by Lovenberg and co-workers, this histamine receptor has gained the interest of many pharmaceutical companies as a potential drug target ...for the treatment of various important disorders, including obesity, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, as well as for myocardial ischaemia, migraine and inflammatory diseases. Here, we discuss relevant information on this target protein and describe the development of various H(3) receptor agonists and antagonists, and their effects in preclinical animal models.
In recent decades, significant advances in drug‐delivery systems have enabled more effective drug administration. To deliver drugs to specific organs, a range of organic systems (e.g., micelles, ...liposomes, and polymeric nanoparticles) have been designed. They suffer from limitations, including poor thermal and chemical stability, and rapid elimination by the immune system. In contrast, silica particles offer a biocompatible, stable, and “stealthy” alternative. Bioactive molecules can be easily encapsulated within silica particles by combining sol–gel polymerization with either spray‐drying or emulsion chemistry. Spray‐drying faces challenges, including low yield, surface segregation, and size limitations. In contrast, sol–gel emulsions enable the production of nanoparticles with homogeneous drug distribution, and permit ambient temperature processing, necessary for handling biologicals. Independent control of the size and release rate can be readily achieved. Preliminary in‐vivo experiments reveal enhanced blood stability of the nanoparticles, which, coupled with sustained release of anti‐tumor agents, show good potential for cancer treatment.
Silica particles present an interesting alternative to organic systems for drug delivery. Combining sol–gel synthesis with emulsion technology can produce particles (see Figure) with independently controlled size and release rates. The particle size is controlled by the emulsion chemistry, while the release rate is controlled by the particle microstructure. Preliminary in‐vivo experiments reveal enhanced blood stability of the nanoparticles, which, coupled with sustained release of anti‐tumor agents, show good potential for cancer treatment.
Proteins are in constant motion between different conformational states with similar energies. This has often been ignored in drug design. However, protein flexibility is fundamental to understanding ...the ways in which drugs exert biological effects, their binding-site location, binding orientation, binding kinetics, metabolism and transport. Protein flexibility allows increased affinity to be achieved between a drug and its target. This is crucial, because the lipophilicity and number of polar interactions allowed for an oral drug is limited by absorption, distribution, metabolism and toxicology considerations.
Das Ziel der vorgestellten Masterarbeit war, dazu beizutragen, dass der Erkenntnisstand zu synthetischen Cannabinoiden bei Fachkräften der Jugendhilfe erweitert wird. Durch die persönliche ...Konfrontation in der Jugendarbeit ergaben sich weitere offene Forschungsfragen z.B. nach Konsummotivationen oder dem Wissenstand über die Substanzen. In der Masterarbeit werden verschiedene Problem- und Aufgabenbereiche, die durch die Thematik in Verbindung mit der Suchtprävention mit Jugendlichen entstehen können, dargestellt und beschrieben.
The United States is in the midst of a drug overdose epidemic. Although the online availability of drugs has been a growing concern with considerable speculation that digital platforms are ...contributing to this epidemic, empirical assessments have been lacking. To quantify this impact, we rely on the phased rollout of Craigslist, a major online platform, as an experimental setup. Applying a difference-in-differences approach on a national panel data set for all counties in the United States from 1997 to 2008, we find a 14.9% increase in drug abuse treatment admissions, a 5.7% increase in drug abuse violations, and a 6.0% increase in drug overdose deaths after Craigslist’s entry. The impacts of Craigslist’s entry are larger among women, whites, Asians, and the more educated. Further, the unintended consequences of Craigslist are more likely to accrue in larger, wealthier areas with initially low levels of drug abuse. These findings raise the possibility that the marked growth in U.S. drug abuse may have partially stemmed from the wider availability of illicit drugs online at the very beginning of its evolution.
This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, information systems.
This paper examines how the recent transition of the opioid crisis from prescription opioids to more prevalent misuse of illicit opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl, altered labor supply behavior ...and disability insurance claiming rates. We exploit differential geographic exposure to the reformulation of OxyContin, the largest reduction in access to abusable prescription opioids to date, to study the effects of substitution to illicit markets. We observe meaningful reductions in labor supply measured in terms of employment-to-population ratios, hours worked, and earnings in states more exposed to reformulation relative to those less exposed. We also find evidence of increases in disability applications and beneficiaries.
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