Economic Drivers of Pharmaceutical Investment Location

The article examines the range of economic factors that underlie decision making about the location of investments by research-based pharmaceutical companies. Set in the context of the commercial challenges facing the industry, structured interviews with 34 senior executives in pharmaceutical companies examined hypothetical investment scenarios. Unsurprisingly, both cost and quality factors are important to decision making, but their nature and relative importance depend heavily on the type of investment being considered. For some investments, particularly in high value research, quality may be paramount. In other matters quality remains important but a wide and increasing range of locations are able to deliver acceptable levels of quality, so cost becomes much more relevant.

Parkinson Symptom Severity and Use of Nutraceuticals

Background: It is estimated that half of the individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) use some form of over-the-counter vitamin, herbal supplement or nutraceutical. The goal of this study was to survey individuals with PD about their use of the nutraceuticals and evaluate the association of the nutraceutical with the severity of symptoms. Methods: Participants with self-reported idiopathic PD within the 2021 cohort (n = 1084) were included in a cross-sectional study to assess association of nutraceuticals with symptom severity via linear regression analysis. PD severity was measured using the patient-reported outcomes in PD, and supplement use reflected self-reported consistent use over the previous six months. All regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, income and years since diagnosis. The use of the term progression refers to PRO-PD scores adjusted for years since diagnosis. Results: The most frequently used supplements were vitamin D (71%), B12 (44%), vitamin C (38%) and fish oil (38%). None of the supplements being used were associated with statistically significant worse outcomes. Nutraceuticals associated with improved outcomes were Ginkgo biloba (GB), NAD+ or its precursors, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, glutathione, mucuna, CoQ10, low dose lithium, curcumin, homocysteine factors, DHEA, coconut oil, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil). Conclusions: These data suggest that in a real-world setting, some over-the-counter supplements are associated with fewer patient-reported symptoms. Supplements with significant associations with fewer symptoms have biological plausibility and future clinical trials should be explored