Pharma Technology Focus is now available on all devices. Read it for free here.

The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 rapidly accelerated healthcare’s transition to digital, as social distancing and lockdown measures forced many to find ways to keep health systems running while many other industries ground to a halt.

Unfortunately, the speedy transition to digital systems has also made companies in the pharma industry very lucrative targets for cybercriminals who are primed and waiting to exploit any weak link in the security chain.

Over the past few years, the pharma industry has been targeted multiple times. But can these previous incidents help pharma companies to prepare for future breach attempts? We find out.

Also in this issue, we dive into the dirty subject of pharma pollution to find out how hospitals in Europe are working to reduce the environmental impact of wastewater, learn how the mRNA technology used to develop Covid-19 vaccines could help to improve seasonal flu jabs, and examine the drugs being used to help treat alcohol use disorder patients.

All this, plus the latest insight and analysis from GlobalData.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

In this issue

Pharma cybersecurity breaches to know and learn from
The transition to digital, expedited by the Covid-19 pandemic, has opened up new cybersecurity concerns. To learn more about data protection in the industry, Abi Millar looks back at five of the biggest pharma cybersecurity breaches of the decade, why they happened and what we can learn from them.
Read the article here.

The drugs treating alcoholism 
Despite the serious harm caused by alcohol dependency, the condition is often overshadowed by the abuse of illegal substances and prescription medication. To find out what companies are doing to help treat alcoholism, Darcy Jimenez takes a look at the current drugs on the market and investigates the stigma around taking them.
Read the article here.

In with the old: how an established vaccine is fuelling Covid-19 treatment
The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine is being evaluated against Covid-19 in a number of studies worldwide. Darcy Jimenez explores whether this century-old tuberculosis vaccine could help fight Covid-19 in the elderly.
Read the article here.

How are hospitals tackling pharmaceutical pollution?
A new report by Health Care Without Harm Europe looks at how hospital wastewater contributes to the pharmaceuticals found in the environment. Darcy Jimenez rounds up notable methods that hospitals in Europe are using to try and minimise pharma pollution.
Read the article here.

After Covid-19, mRNA technology aims to revolutionise the flu shot
After developing Covid-19 vaccines based on mRNA, pharma is now looking to improve seasonal flu shots using the same science. Manasi Vaidya explores whether the success of the vaccine type could be replicated in the influenza space.
Read the article here.

Pushing for a UK genomics revolution
The recently published Genomics Nation report has highlighted the strength and potential of the UK genomics sector. Darcy Jimenez speaks to Adrian Ibrahim, head of technology transfer and business development at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to learn more.
Read the article here.

Next issue preview

In the next issue of Pharma Technology Focus, we break down some of the biggest stories impacting the global pharmaceutical industry.

With biopharmaceuticals playing a big role in modern medicine, packaging companies are having to develop new solutions that can ensure the stability of these structurally complex drugs throughout their shelf-life. To find out more, we take a look at how packaging requirements differ between traditional pharmaceuticals and biologics.

Also, we examine the role that bacteria can play in cancer growth and chemotherapy drug resistance and explore the promises and limitations of therapeutic bacteria as an approach to treating cancer.