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The best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023: Immunology and oncology return to prominence

Note: This feature on the best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023 will be updated regularly as new data becomes available. Stay tuned for our ongoing coverage of the pharma sector’s sales dynamics.

[Scanrail/Adobe Stock]

In 2023, as the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic began to loosen, the pharma sector returned to relying on immunology and oncology as sales drivers. So far this year, the two segments are on track to be the strongest in the pharma landscape. In the first half of 2023, the immunology and oncology domains drove sales of $31.110 billion and $37.982 billion, respectively, based on a review of financial data from 13 Big Pharma companies. Conversely, the infectious disease segment accumulated sales of approximately $28.587 billion.

Contrasting the boom of prior years, 2023 has seen a pronounced dip in the appetite for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. For instance, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine generated roug…

California partners with manufacturer to make affordable generic insulin

[Insulin molecular model image Dr_Microbe/Adobe Stock]

The state of California has established a $50 million collaboration over a decade with the generic drug manufacturer Civica. The goal of the collaboration is to create affordable state-branded generic insulin.

Qualified individuals may obtain a 10-mL vial of generic insulin for $30 or less. California plans to provide a pack containing five prefilled 3 mL pens for $55 or less.

Governor Gavin Newsom hopes California’s emergence as an insulin-maker will lead insulin prices to collapse.

Echoing these efforts, President Biden has made it clear that his administration is dedicated to bringing down health care expenses. In that vein, Biden has urged pharmaceutical giants to rein in insulin prices.

Major insulin makers respond to pressure for lower prices

In recent weeks, Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY), Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) and Sanofi (Nasdaq:SNY) …

4 things to keep in mind when selecting beta bags

Image courtesy of Central Research Laboratories

Life science products like pharmaceuticals, biologics and biosimilars that feature active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) require the safe, efficient, contamination-free, i.e., “aseptic,” handling of raw materials and finished products. Maintaining a sterile production process demands that all components used in a cleanroom or isolator be kept contaminant-free. Beta bags play a critical role in this process, but before selecting a beta bag brand or model, the aseptic-process operator should consider four things:

1. What is the main purpose of beta bags?

Alpha ports (sealed openings) used in cleanrooms and isolators give operators access to various components during an aseptic-production process, allowing the operator to retrieve items ranging from vial stoppers to syringe plungers, hand wipes to cable ties, and simple pen and paper. Contamination-free access …