< PreviousINHIBITORS 30 Pharma Business International www.pbiforum.net The team looked at the data of 1,200 people with COVID-19 admitted to two hospitals at the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with symptoms from 1st March to 13th April 2020. Severe cases were detected as those who were either transferred to a critical care unit or who died. They were compared to people who were treated with and without ACE inhibitors and ARBs. Of the 1,200 patients, 415 people (thirty- five per cent) died or required critical care support within twenty-one days of symptoms and thirty-three per cent were taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs. Their findings indicated that the likelihood of severe disease was similar in individuals on ACE inhibitors or ARBs compared to those not on these drugs. The average age was sixty-eight years, seventy-four per cent of people had at least one comorbidity and they were of diverse ethnicities with over thirty per cent from minority ethnic groups. “The use of ACE inhibitors and ARBs has been a hot topic of debate since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This left millions of people living with heart and circulatory conditions questioning whether they should continue to take their heart medications,” said Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation. “This UK study, which is the first to include significant proportions of people from both white and minority ethnic backgrounds, adds to other recent evidence confirming these medications do not increase the risk of severe COVID-19 infections. These drugs are very effective for heart failure, and to control high blood pressure to help prevent a heart attack or stroke. This study provides further reassurance that their use is safe and that it is important that patients continue to take them as prescribed to protect cardiovascular health.” Unsurprisingly, this is an avenue of research and study that the industry is heavily investing. Recently, for example, Swedish biotech company, Medivir, entered a research collaboration with the Drug Discovery and Development Platform (DDD) at SciLifeLab on potential inhibitors of SARS CoV-2. Through the collaboration, DDD will get access to Medivir’s unique proprietary protease-targeted compound library. The aim is to find potential inhibitors of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, an essential non-structural protein, Mpro, required for virus replication. DDD will mine the Medivir-developed unique protease-targeted compound library to identify putative inhibitors and evaluate active compounds as potential drug development candidates. Data for up to one hundred top-inhibitors will be released on-line and will be freely available for drug development to combat COVID-19. The project aims at establishing a pre-competitive, open science collaboration at SciLifeLab, engaging both industry and academic research groups in Sweden and abroad, for the discovery of antivirals for SARS CoV-2. Inhibitors are just one of the important therapeutic approaches being explored to help combat, mitigate and expand our understanding of COVID-19. In conjuncture with other approaches, they will likely prove critical in the months and years to come. 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 12/10/2020 11:03 Page 3Pharma Business International 31 www.pbiforum.net INHIBITORS © Shutterstock /Kateryna Kon 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 12/10/2020 11:03 Page 4BLOCKCHAIN 32 Pharma Business International www.pbiforum.net Effectively a tamper-proof digital ledger, blockchain establishes a trust environment for transactions allowing all participants from across the supply chain to gain authorised access to trusted information. Its most ardent supporters have declared that using blockchain will usher in a safer, securing and better connected supply chain, but others have pointed out that, benefits aside, blockchain is another tool which must be correctly used in order to see any kind of result. There are already a number of exciting projects underway to upscale, explore and apply blockchain to the pharmaceutical supply chain. Among those is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ on-going project The Pharma Blockchain initiative. The project is exploring how emerging technologies can be applied in ways that will optimise process across the pharmaceutical network. Although emphasis is, of course, on improving industry efficiencies, the project’s end goal is on patient care and safety. Blockchain could help managed complicated supply chains, such as biopharma and biotech, and provide a reliable means to track licensed technologies. But it isn’t just the preserve of big pharma, or any multinational for that matter, and in order to work to its fullest, needs to be deployed across an entire industry. Indeed, companies of every size can employ blockchain to improve the way drugs and treatments and both distributed and verified. The global counterfeit drugs industry is believed to be a $20 billion industry, one which claims the lives of desperate patients year on year. Unable to afford healthcare costs, many patients find themselves turning instead to unregulated channels via the internet in order to secure medication. Fake medicines may appear indistinguishable from their counterparts, but can contain any mixture of ingredients and in any amount leading to overdoses. Consumers may thinking their buying the genuine article, even though illicit means, but have no way of knowing. Many of the safeguards already in place are being The benefits of blockchain With blockchain becoming one of the pharmaceutical sector’s biggest trends, we explore how the technology is bolstering traceability, reliability and safety across the entire supply chain. 34 Á 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 12/10/2020 11:04 Page 1Pharma Business International 33 www.pbiforum.net BLOCKCHAIN © Shutterstock /Sashkin 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 12/10/2020 11:04 Page 2BLOCKCHAIN 34 Pharma Business International www.pbiforum.net replicated by criminals and options such as holographs simply aren’t robust enough. Blockchain could be a silver bullet in order to ensure that only verified drugs and medical products are available and that consumers and retailers stay educated. Of course, as with every aspect of the pharmaceutical industry, COVID-19 could very well hinder the widespread implementation of blockchain in supply chains. Even though blockchain stands out as a potential solution to improve pharma supply chains, in particular, the coronavirus may become a hindrance rather than a trigger in the technology’s future implementation and uptake. “A blockchain-based distributed ledger can provide a critical solution for streamlining product tracking and recalls, while at the same time mitigating issues such as drug shortages and counterfeiting,” said Urte Jakimaviciute, Senior Director of Market Research at GlobalData. “However, with the current crisis, blockchain may not be a top priority for the healthcare industry and any blockchain-related investments may be put on hold. Companies may shift their focus to operational resilience and agility, as well as remote workforces. While risk management in supply chains is extremely important for the pharmaceutical sector, blockchain technologies are still emerging, therefore the return on investment is hard to assess.” Blockchain implementation in pharmaceutical product supply chains is currently in early pilot stages. The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) was enacted in 2013 in US prompted companies such as IBM, KPMG, Merck & Co and Walmart to explore blockchain technology. 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 12/10/2020 11:04 Page 3Pharma Business International 35 www.pbiforum.net BLOCKCHAIN In February 2020, these companies issued a report declaring the blockchain pilot program successful in addressing the stated objectives and demonstrating compliance with the DSCSA. Nevertheless, they also highlighted a need to develop a defined industry governance framework associated with the blockchain network and standards for information exchange, such as GS1. There are number of limitations and challenges that technology providers, industry and governments need to address in order to bring blockchain developments forward. Aside from compliance, regulations and governance challenges, issues related to security for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, access control and scalability may present additional barriers and risks. Jakimaviciute said: “While blockchain provides an extremely appealing use case in pharmaceutical supply chains, due to the lack of ‘real world’ applications, the COVID-19 crisis may present a temporary setback for blockchain rather than encouraging growth.” The benefits of blockchain are myriad, from shrinking costs for companies, expediting and strengthening validation processes and creating a securer, more reliable supply chain. And the traceability gains are nothing short of profound. The technology is still in largely in its infancy, with more exploration and trials needed before any kind of widespread adoption takes place in the pharmaceutical sector. More than anything, blockchain may just well be our last best hope for total traceability, ensuring the long-term safety of patients. However, COVID-19 presents a sting in a tale that could set back the industry’s adoption of this key traceability and tracking technology by years. © Shutterstock /PopT ika 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 12/10/2020 11:04 Page 4FEATURES Asthma exposé What's new in antidepressants AI in drug development Repurposing therapies Treating food allergies Clinical trials Next issue: Deadline - 18th November 2020 REGULARS News Events M&A Round-up Eye on approvals Pharma BUSINESS INTERN ATION AL Visit us at www.pbiforum.net where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscribe to our newsletters so you can have the latest news emailed to your inbox, in between printed issues? @pbiforumwww.pbiforum.net company/po-business-international 36.qxp_Layout 1 12/10/2020 11:04 Page 1Next >