The Tough Pill
Pills have been with us since the Bronze Age.?
Romans developed pill-making equipment — some of which is still in existence.?
And these pilulae, as the Romans called them, have been trademarked in some form since 500 BC.
So we can understand why it’s very easy to underestimate the science that goes into creating a new one. Believe it or not, misconceptions about pills are very common among pharmacists, practitioners, investors, and the very biotechs who are hoping to create the next RINVOQ, Eliquisor, or Paxlovid.?
Let’s not sugarcoat this one — some of these misconceptions can cost companies quite a lot of money and delay potentially life-saving treatments. So while we can assume our audience is fairly confident about knowing what a pill is and isn’t, we hope you’ll be patient with us as we explore this topic.?
What a Pill Isn’t?
Here are two definitions we pulled off the internet …?
Can you spot the problem??
Both of these definitions imply that a pill is just active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) pressed into a shape. And if that’s all a pill was, you certainly wouldn’t need a highly skilled team to make one.?
But besides your API, here are the components you’ll often find in a modern pill:?
All of these elements have the potential to give a new formulation a competitive advantage or cause it to fail. And unfortunately, it’s often the latter.?
New Blog: The Pitfalls of Drug Development
Between our event schedule and our current drug development projects, Yves Roy is a busy man. But after his last blog got such a warm reception, he set aside some time to pen a new one.??
His newest blog outlines a lot of drug development no-nos that remain shockingly common. Yes, that includes focusing only on APIs. But Yves also explores other persistent — and completely avoidable — mistakes that tend to get biotechs in the red.?
Read it right here!?
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Our YouTube Moment?
We haven’t broken the internet with this video. Not yet. But to be fair, the most popular thing on YouTube is currently “Baby Shark,” so we may have been aiming a bit high.??
At any rate, some time has passed since our inaugural event this past June, and we’re glad we had the foresight to catch a bit of it on tape!
We hadn’t looked at the footage since, but our video team just put it together with a little bit of music, and we … think we have something in our eye.?
The Fabulous Lives We Lab Rats Do Lead?
You’ll often run into our team at large biotech events in North America. These conventions can be intense, and between scheduling one-on-one meetings with colleagues and catching as many panels and speakers as we can, a lot of work travel can catch up with you.?
But when your company decides you ABSOLUTELY MUST go to Milan, how can you refuse??
Yes! You’ll find us at CPHI Milan in October. Technically speaking, it’s for the opportunity to connect with our colleagues in Europe and Asia, but if an espresso or a decadent risotto alla Milanese just happens to present itself, we’re not going to turn it down. It would be just plain wrong.?
Any must-sees and eats in Milan? Let us know!?
Upcoming Events
Feel free to use our travel plans as an excuse to make a booking of your own. However, if Italy isn’t in the cards for you this year, we’ll also be in San Diego, Salt Lake City and Boston coming up.?
We update our upcoming events page frequently, and we’ve made it much easier to schedule a 1:1 in a few clicks.?
So go ahead … get that swag!
And while we’re on the subject, we’d like these newsletters to be a virtual, but welcome gift. So if you’ve learned something of value — or you have a topic you’d like our team to explore in more detail — please let us know.?
Otherwise, we’ve always got more “red pill” content in the works!?
Very informative